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too much the order made no sense, and was sure to be reversed. 112/* Which version of the story is more precise is impossible to determine, but one can look at the re- action which the news, once received by Gen. Cabell and Mr. Bissell, precipitated at that level. It was not until the close out of the Bay of Pigs activity that Gen. Cabell and Mr. Bissell went on record with their version of the events which transpired among themselves, Secretary Rusk, and Presi.dent Kennedy. In a memorandum of 9 May 1961 for General Maxwell Taylor, Gen. Cabell and Mr. Bissell forwarded a three page memorandum which is reproduced here in full. 1. At about 9:30 p.m. on 16 April (D-l) I was called in the CIA headquarters for the Cuban operation by the Special Assistant to the President, Mr. McGeorge * Schlesinger's book appeared in 1964, Alsop's book appeared in 1968. In a memorandum prepared for the DCI on the Alsop book, it was reported that: Mr. Barnes confirms his conversation with Secretary Rusk and that Mr. Bundy, who had arrived during the conversation, backed him up on the details, as reported by Alsop. Thus, the cancellation of the second air strike by President Kennedy was apparently based on a misunderstanding of which CIA was unaware until too late to correct. Mr. Barnes also confirms his sub- sequent conversation with Secretary Rusk in which Alsop reports Barnes'3 learning of the cancellation and calling Mr. Bissell. ll~/ - 268 -