October 24, 1962
Telegram from Polish Embassy in Havana (Jeleń), 24 October 1962
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Ciphergram No. 15721
Dispatched from Havana on 10.24.1962 at 21:20
Received on 10.25.1962 at 13:04
Came into the Deciphering Department on 10.25.1962 at 16:30
To: [Aleksander] KRAJEWSKI1, Urgent
From: [Ambassador Boleslaw] JELEN2
Based on the conversations with:
The Soviet ambassador [Aleksandr Alekseyev] is optimistic.
When discussing his country’s position, he emphasized that doors towards negotiations should not be closed. He sees a possibility of counteraction, among other places, in Berlin. He also sees opening some kind of a way out for the United States.
He thinks that Cuba’s defensive capabilities are currently sufficient. There is no need for new deliveries.
He assumes that the Soviet ships, if they are forced to do so, will have to submit to inspection in order to continue. These inspections, however, will have a negative political effect for the United States (he states that this is only his personal opinion).
He personally thinks that the tensions will subside after the presidential [sic; mid-term Congressional] elections in the United States.
He is not hiding his dissatisfaction with the Sino-Indian developments.
The Brazilian ambassador [Luis Bastian Pinto] is concerned. He continues to point to the increase in tensions of the elections in the United States.
[The opinions of] various Cubans. The mobilization continues in a normal manner. There is no internal disorder.
My impressions. There’s a relative run on the stores, but without any signs of panic and fears of the threat of military operations.
[1] Official in the Polish Foreign Ministry. In 1950-1951, he served as the Vice-Chair of the Administrative and Budgetary Committee of the UN General Assembly. In 1965-1970, he served as Poland’s ambassador to Brazil.
[2] Poland’s ambassador to Cuba (1961-1965).
On the Cuban Crisis situation, Jelen says that Soviet Ambassador Aleksandr Alekseyev is optimistic but Brazilian Ambassador Luis Bastian Pinto is concerned. Jelen also gives his own impressions of the crisis, saying that "There’s a relative run on the stores, but without any signs of panic and fears of the threat of military operations."
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