--------------------------- ·' INCOMING TELEGRAM ·- I - _ I Department of State I I 53-51 t n Info ss G SP NO Secretary of State SAL ARA NEA 0CTOt ER 3 38 PM 24 1962 9 STATE DEPT DECLASSIPICATION RB IU V 1678 OCTOBER 24 7 PM 0 jl1 11tn da ''n a»ify Ch 11111e cl wlfy to with a na irrenoc ol A • A •llftc- r -- CT'TT-l PS CB R by tt Oa c EQ 12958 25 H BTF l Rec'd FROM LONDON TO 781 1 Control LIMIT DISTRl UT ION ll l 3 vf CA 'IIIC PRIORITY NOFORN · · 'f · E02 5x 1 ' p IOP INR RMR LAST EVE NING ON STRICTLY CONTROLLED PR IVATE t SI HUGH GAITSKELL AND GEORGE f ROWN WERE t R I EFED ON CUf SA I I FO R us QFF IC I ALS WERE PRESENT INCLUDING AMB t RUCE EVIPEN E OF SQVIET OFFENSIVE BUILD- UP IN CUt A WITH AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS AND MAJOR PHASES IN US DETERMI NATION OF FACTS AND POLIC ACTION WE E PRESENTED ·AND DISCUSSED 1 BOTH· GAITSKELL AND ·BROWN ·WERE IMPRESSED f Y EVIDENCE OF SOV IET ACTIONS f UT NOT RPT NOT EQUALLY GAITSKELL APPEARED RESERVED WORRIED AND SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE AtjQUT CONCLUS l VENESS Of US RPT US ' FIND INGS HE WAS PARTlcuLARLY CONCERNiD BY UNCOORDINATED MANNER OF UNILATERAL 11· US RPT US DEC ISION TO ACT ITS SCOPE AND POSS IE LE CONSEQUENCES HE SAID °FLATLY HE WAS NOT RPT NOT SATISFIED WITH PREPARATl0NS ON US RPT US SIDE IN DEALING WITH ''AL LIES AND ALSO EXPRESSED PERSONAL DOUBTS A OUT 11 PROOF 11 ANO LIKELIHOOD OF AGGRESSIVE SOVIET INTENTIONS AGAl ST AMERICAN MAINLAND MACMILLAN AT EARLIER BRIEF ING THAT AFT RNOON OF TOP LAf OR LEADERS HAD APPEARED ACCORDING TO f SROWN HURT'' Y A SEN E OF ADEQUATE US RPT US ADVANCE WARN ING AND CONSULTAT ION US RPT US OFFICIAL POINTE0 OUT BRITISH OFFICIALS IN US RPT US WERE INFORMED LATE FRIDAY BUT EVENTS MOVED SWIFT LY AND CLOSELY CONTROLLED NATURE OF THEM MADE IT DIFF ICULT TO SAT ISFY uSUA L CONSJLTAT 1_0N f ROtE0URfiS · 2 UROWN WAS 08V IOUSLY MORE AT HOME IN DEFENSE FIELD THA GAITSKELL HE SOLJGHT TO LEAD · RATHER THANf FORCE GA ITSKELL TO RECOGN ·1Zf _ FACT THAT DISCLOSED DATA WENT CONSIDERA8LY 8EYOND AVAILABLE BRITISH KNOWLEDGE 6E RE i e NW# 27239 REPRODUCTION FROM THIS COPY lS PROHIBITED UNLESS UNCLASSIFIED Oocld 26521458 DECLASSIFIED Authority ND G£9 7 6EGFlET -2- 1678 OCTOBER 24 7 PM FROM LONDON KNOWLEDGE REGARDING SOV IET E UILD-UP BOTH IN SIZE AND CHARACTER GAITSKELL DID NOT RPT NOT WARMLY OR pOS ITIVELY RESPOND TO THESE LEADS BROWN WAS ALSO MORE READY TO ACCEPT STRONG PRESUMPTIVE EVIDENCE OF HOSTILE SOVIET INTENTIONSo HE PUT SEVERAL QUESTIONS AfjOUT NUME ER AND BACK-UP SUPPORT OF SOVIET EMPLACEMENTS I CUBA NUMfjER OF KNOWN LAUNCHER-READY SOVIET · ICfjMtS· RPT ICBM•S AND PRESENT RANGE OF fjMEWS RPT fjMEWS • • • I • 3 fj0TH MEN RAISED Q ESTIONS OF NEXT STEPS AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHOW-DOWN IN CUE A-1 0fjVIOUSLY POINTS OF GENERAL CONCERN HERE AND PARTICULARL¥ IN LABOR POLITICS AT MEETING WITH MACMILLAN AT 5 00 PM THEY HAD URGED HIM AMONG OTHER POSSlfjLE COURSES OF ACTION BROWN SAID TO GO TO WASHINGTON IMMEDIATE LY TO 11 MEDI ATE SITUATION THIS COURSE IS MUCH IN GAITSKELL S MIND fj ING APPARENTLY CONVINCED MAGNITUDE· ANO GRAVITY OF US RPT US RESPONSE ARE OUT OF PROPORTION TO IMMEDIATE SOVIET CHALLENGE FEELING SEEMS WIDELY SHARED HERE INEVITABLY QUESTION OF POSSIBLE TRADE-OFF OF US RPT US AND SOVIET fjASES CAME UP AS ONE POSSl fjLE MEANS OF EASING ACUTE PRESENT TENSIONS NOTABLY fjASES LIKE THOSE IN TURKEY fj0TH MEN AGREED UNRESERVEDLY fjERLIN COULD NOT RPT NOT BE CONSIDER D IN POSSIBLE DICKER WITH USSR WEST MUST STAND FIRM THERE WHATEVER HAPPENS GAITSKELL SEEMED FEARFUL THAT S0METHING · • DRASTIC WOULD HAPPEN IN fjERL IN SOON BRO t·f·suGGESTED i _· IN VIEW DECLINING UTILITY OVERSEAS fjA _ES_ S RPT US C_OU LD - •-_ · CONS I DER GIVING UP SOME E ASES IN RETURN F OR s tl NORMA·l ·I - -····ZAT ION OF S ITUATION ·IN cufjA IDEA 1s ·'A s6 ' FRtouENTLv · ·' t - • ·-· EXPRESSED IN fjRITISH PRESS AS POSSIBLY BEING ONE OF MAIN SOVIET AIMS AT PRESENT JUNCTURE 4 ' · IMPLIED IN THESE BRITISH ATTITUDES PARTLY REFLECTED IN RATHER DETACHED VIEWS OF GAIJS ELL AND EVEN MORE PARTISANLY IN THOSE WHO DISLIKE US RPT US POLICY IN CUBA IS THAT US RPT- US AND USSR ARE ENGAGED IN SAME POWER GAME BOTH ALMOST EQUALLY GUILTY OF PROVOCATIVE FORWARDE lASE r-NW# 27239 Ooc d 26521458 --- -- - q · --- -3- 1678 OCTOBER 27 4 PM FROM LQNQON ASE STRATEGY AND BOTH UNWILLI NG TO CONSIDER 11 DISENGAGEMENT FOR REASONS OF PRESTIGE AND NAKED POWER CALCULAT IONS GOOD DEAL OF THIS ATTITUDE HAS RU BED OFF ON GAITSKELL AND IS ENDEMIC IN HIS PARTY AND OTHER SECTORS OF RITISH OPINION TO MANY OBSERVERS HERE CU8A LOOKS ALL OF PIECE WITH COLD WAR STRATEGY AND THERE IS DISTURBING TENDENCY TO DEPICT US RPT US AS NOT RPT NOT 8EING MUCH DIFFERENTLY MOTIVATED OR MORE JUSTIF IED THAN USSR IN DEALING 'WITH S ITUATIONS OF POTENT IAL WORLD CONFLICT 5 DESP ITE RESERVAT IONS AND UNCERTAINTIES CONCERNING FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS FRANK DISCUSS ION WITH LA OR LEADERS SERVED USEFUL PURPOSE BROWN EXPRESSED OP INION AND HOPE THAT LEADERSHI P WOULD E ABLE TO KEEP PARTY REACTIONS TO UNFOLD ING EVENTS ON RAILS 11 8RUCE KEA seeRET NW# 27239 Docld 26521458