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About Eugene register-guard. (Eugene, Or.) 1930-1983 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1962)
Pge 10B EUGENE REGISTER-GUARD, Wed., Nov. 7, 1962 It Depends on How You Look at It By RELMAN MORDf i Of tht Associated Prcu Was President Kennedy Slow to See Russia's Nuclear Buildup in Cuba? ' (Editor's note: Here is the the second article of the behind-the-scenes story of the Cuban crisis. Today's story digs into the controversial question: was President Ken nedy slow to recognize the Soviet nuclear buildup in Cuba?) WASHINGTON Contro versy swirls today around the question: was President Ken nedy slow to recoRnize that the Russians were molding Cuba in to a powerful nuclear gun, aimed straight at the heart of the United States? Republicans say he was, "those missile bases were there a long, long time before the President spoke, "says Sen Hugh Scott, R-Pa., referring to Kennedy s statement of Oct. 22, when he proclaimed the "quar antine" on offensive weapons to Cuba. In mid-September, Scott said the Republicans had "very hard information" about Soviet mis sile sites in Cuba. The same facts were available to the ad ministration, he says. Before that, on Sept. 8, Sen. jicnnctn a. Keating, n-N y, said he thought a blockade of Cuba to screen ships for incom ing war material might be nec essary. This is what administration authorities say in reply; "In late August, we began re ceiving reports from Cuban ref ugees and other sources of mis sile sites being built in Cuba, We think this is the same infor mation Keating was getting. "Every one of those reports was carefully checked. "And in every case, they turn ed out to be reports of "Sam sites or 'Cruise Sites.' "Samsite" is military short hand for "surface-to-air missile site." In other words, a form of antiaircraft. "Cruise Site" is a type of coastal defense. Neith er has the range to reach the U.S. Technically, they could be considered in the category of defense weapons. The Soviet government had repeatedly told Kennedy that de fensive weapons were the only type bcin installed in Cuba. "He received a stream of assur ances, publicity and in private, to this effect, an authority says. It was not until the week of Oct. 15, when reconnaissance spotted definite evidence of a rapid buildup that, figuratively, the alarm-bell rang, administra tion officers say. In all versions of the story, officials stress the speed of the Russian construction work sometimes almost with grudging admiration. A man who participated in all the decision-making conferences says "only four or five days" elapsed between evidence of the first bulldozer scars and the rise of installations that serve a missile site. "They couldn't have been detected earlier," he says. Kennedy said in his statement of Oct. 22, "within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation. "He (Kennedy) was con fronted with a set of new facts that required a new decision," an administration officer says. Thursday, Oct. 18, is a critical point in the story. On that day, after some 72 hours of intensive conferences more new reconnaissance evi dence from Cuba, and continual briefings based on it, the Presi dent was very close to making his decision an arms blockade on Cuba. The die was not yet cast, but Kennedy was close to it. And on that same day, he met in the White House with the Soviet foreign minister, Andrei A. Gromyko. Most of their con versation was about Berlin Then Kennedy came around to Cuba. He suddenly rose from his rocking chair, walked out of his office, and returned with copies of his statements in September on Cuba, He read them to Gromyko. On Sept. 13, he had said: 'But let me make this clear once again. If at any time the Communist buildup in Cuba were to endanger or interfere with our security in any way . . , or become an offensive military base of significant ca pacity for the Soviet Union, then this country will do whatever must be done to protect its own security and that of its allies. Gromyko repeated the assur ances that Soviet actions Cuba were solely for "the pur pose of contributing to the de fense capabilities cf Cuba. Meanwhile, the conferences designed to hammer out course of action were going on full blast. Should the U.S. call on th United Nations to issue a kind of cease-and-desist order to Russia? Very early, that was ruled out. "It would only have meant discussions and prolonged de lays, talking while the Russians rushed ahead with the work in Cuba," an official said. There were various military alternatives; a sudden air strike invasion, a blockade. Each had its proponents. The arguments were hot and heavy. The quick air strike, some felt, would destroy the sites in a few minutes. Should it be preceded by a warning to the Russians and other workers to get well away from the regions to come under attack? "I'll put it this way, says a participant in the discussions. The President never let the ar gument get away from the fact yCOmin ES XV ( iff)) ' SAVINGS ) ( ( "K GALORE AysyjO Values . . . in every department r FREE I ELECTRIC BLANKET 29.95 Value with the purchase oi mattress and box springs! 1 X I J 5-PIECE EASTERN BEDROOM SET 2 ONLY1 Set includes dresser, mirror, bookcase bed, chest and night stand. Limed oak. L Reg. 419.95 SALE PRICE Plus FREE Mattress & Box Spring 299 95 DAVENO ( AND CHAIR M199 5 selection cl colors Reg. 149.95 SALE PRICE 5-PIECE DINETTE SET Walnutbrown. Cream walnutbrown, whilewhite, Reg. 69.95 SALE PRICE 3-PIECE SECTIONAL Nylon cover. Beige, brown, turquoise. 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Top officials of the White House and the Departments of Defense, State and Justice par ticipated in the conferences. Later, two experts on Com munist operations were called in. They were Charles "Chip" Bohlen and Llewellyn E. Thomp son. Both have served as am bassadors to Mnsnnw nnrl long experience in Soviet affairs. Their advice wan cnunhf r two Questions: "What ar th Russians up to in Cuba? What will they do if . . . .?" Kennedy came into the talks only when the conferees had reached virtual agreement on some specific points. He did not sit in on the long discus sions. He seldom commented. Mostly he asked questions "I want to know how many days this would take," or who's hand ling that?" Often, he directed further study of a point. By Saturday, Oct. 20, he was able to say: "All right, we'll go with ths blockade. But I want to have another talk in the morning." 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