to have a special historical relationship to the United States and the nations of the
Western Hemisphere. In violation of Soviet assurances and in defiance of American and
hemispheric policy, this sudden clandestine decision to station strategic weapons for
t^ie first time outside Soviet soil is a deliberately provocative and unjustified change
in the status quo which cannot be accepted by this country if our courage and our com
mittments are ever to be trusted again, by either friend or foe. The 1930?s taught us
a clear lesson. Aggressive conduct, if allowed to go unchecked, and unchallenged, ul
timately leads to war. This nation.is opposed to war. We are also true to our word*
Our unswerving objective therefore must be to prevent the use of these missiles against
this or any other country, and to secure their withdrawal or elimination from the Western
Hemisphere. Our policy has been one of patience and restraint as befits a peaceful and
powerful nation which leads a worldwide alliance * We have been determined not to be
diverted from our central concern by mere irritance'and fanatics but now further action
is required and it j-s_ under way and these actions may only be the beginnings We will not
prematurely or unnecessarily risk.the cost of world wide nuclear war In which the fruits
of victory would be ashes in our.mouth, but neither will we shrink from that risk at any
, time it must be faced. Acting therefore in the defense of. our own security and of the
entire Western Hemisphere, and under the authority entrusted to me by the Constitution
as endorsed by the resolution of the Congress, I have directed that the following initial
step be taken immediately:
First: To halt this offensive buildup; a strict quaranteen on all offensive millitary
equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiatedc All ships of any kind bound for
Cuba, from whatever nation or port;' were they found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons
be turned back. This quarantine will be extended if needed, to other types of cargo and
carriers. We' are not at this time however, denying the necessities of life as the Soviets
attempted to do in their Berlin Blockade of 194Ss
Second: I have directed the' continued and increased close surveilance of Cuba and its
military buildup. The Foreign Ministers of the O.A.S. in their communique of Octo 6th
rejected secrecy in such matters in this Hemisphere0 Should these offensive military
preparations continue' thus increasing the threat to the Hemisphere further action will be
justified. I have directed the Armed Forces to prepare for any eventuality,and I trust
that iff the interest of both the Cuban people'and the Soviet technicians at the sites,
the hazards to all concerned of continuing this threat will be recognized.
Third: It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from
Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the. Soviet Union upon
the United States requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union* ' -
Fourth: As a necessary military precaution, I 'have reinforced our base at Guantanamo,
evacuated today the dependents of our personnel there and ordered additional military •
units to be on a stand-by alert basis6 < •
Fifth: We are calling tonight-for an immediate meeting of the organization of consulta
tion under the organization of America Stateseeeto consider this threat to hemispheric
security and to invoke Article Six and Eight of the Rio Treaty in support of all necessary
action. The United Nations Charter allows for Regional security arrangement, and the
nations of this hemisphere decided long ago against the military presence of outside
powers'. Our other allies around the world have also been alerted*
Sixth: . Under the Charter of the United Nations we are asking tonight that an emergency
meeting of the Security Council be convoked without delay to take action against this
latest Soviet threat to World Peace. Our resolution will call for the prompt dismantling
and withdrawal. of all offensive weapons in €uba‘ under the supervision of unobservers
before the' quaranteen can be lifted.
Seventh:- and imally: 1 call upon Chairman Khrushchev to halt and eliminate this clandes
tine, reckless/.and provocative- threat to world peach and to stable relations between our
two nations* I call upon him further to abandon this course of world domination and to
join in the historic effort to end the' perilous arms race and to transform the history of
man. He has,an opportunity now to move the world back from the abyss of destruction by
returning .to his governments words that it 'had no need to station missiles outside its
own territories and withdrawing these weapons from Guba by refraining from any action
which, will widen or deepen’the present crisis and then by participating in a search for
peaceful and permanent solution* This nation is prepared to present its case against'
the Soviet threat to peace and our own proposals for a peaceful world at any time and in
any form in the O.A.‘S.,in the United Nations, or in any other meeting that could be use
ful without limiting our freedom of action, We have in the past made strenuous efforts
to limit the spread of nuclear weaponse We have proposed the elimination of all arms and
military bases in a fair and effective disarmament treaty0 We are prepared to discuss
new proposals for the removal of tensions on both sides including the possibilities of a
genuinely independent Cuba free to determine its own destiny, We have no wish to war with
the Soviet Union, for we are a peaceful people, who desire to live in peace with all other
people. But it is difficult to settle or even discuss these problems in an atmosphere of
intimidation. That is why this latest Soviet threat, or any other threat which is made
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