Orientation of Swiss officials on 22 October 1962 through the US Embassy in Berne

 FYI Hans Schmidlin

p.B.73.Cuba.O. U’Ch.- PO/mh Berne, October 24, 1962

Memorandum for the record

Cuba mission USA.

Orientation through USA. Embassy

On Monday afternoon, 22 October, Ambassador [Robert] McKinney asked for an audience with Secretary General [Pierre] Micheli. He is received in the presence of the signatory at 1830h and hands over the beginning of the speech that President Kennedy will give at midnight [7 pm, Washington time]. From this it is already apparent that it relates to Cuba and the Soviet missile bases. The American measures, however, are not evident yet. Regarding the – longer – rest of the text, it was still being decoded. It is agreed that the Ambassador will audition again at 2100h to hand over the rest.

McKinney, accompanied by the Secretary of Legation [Warren P.] Blumberg, auditioned on 22 October at 2100h, with the Secretary General and the signatory. McKinney now has the entire speech. In the meantime, however, the instruction from Washington has been received to hand over this text no earlier than one hour before the speech will be given to the President of the Federal Council, if he is not available to the Head of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if he is also not available then to the “highest ranking senior officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” To simplify the matter it is agreed that Mister Blumberg will visit the signatory between 2300h and midnight to hand over the speech. The Ambassador, anyway, already hinted orally at the basic points (Partial blockade, calling a meeting of the [UN] Security Council etc.).

Blumberg’s visit at the house of the signatory on 22 October between 2300h and midnight. Handing over of the entire text. Short oral commentary in accordance with instructions from the State Department (compare my separate note of 23 October).

Three more information-flashes from [Swiss Ambassador to Washington August] Lindt arrive over the course of the night (briefing through Secretary of State Dean Rusk etc.), of which the signatory is notified by the telegram office.

Ambassador Micheli briefs the President of the Federal Council [Paul Chaudet] on 23 October between 8 and 9h on the basis of the received texts and dispatches, so that he can report on this to the Federal Council at this morning’s meeting.

On 23 October at 1700h Ambassador McKinney auditions again to hand over the two attached supplementary documents.

In the evening of October 23, the Secretary General and the signatory inform the Head of Department [trans. note: Friedrich Traugott Wahlen], who just returned from Oslo (EFTA conference).

2 attachments

[Signed: Raymond] Probst