WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 1962 (UPI) -- The State Department said today that "further action" of an unspecified nature is being considered to deal with the Soviet missile buildup in Cuba. State Department press officer Lincoln White did not elaborate. He told reporters construction of the missile facilities was still going on and reminded them that President Kennedy had said "further action" would come if it continued.
White issued his statement after Kennedy held strategy meetings with key Administration leaders.
Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, who had been scheduled to meet this morning with United Nation Secretary General Thant, unexpectedly showed up for the strategy talks.
Others present included Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Ambassador Lewellyn Thompson, an expert on Soviet affairs, and U. S. disarmament chief William Foster.
It also was learned that:
Kennedy has canceled his Nov. 12-14 visit to Brazil because of the gravity of the situation.
Key congressional leaders have been placed on an eight-hour alert to be ready for a presidential conference not later than Monday.
U.S. representatives Charles W. Yost and Francis T. Plimpton substituted for Stevenson for the talks with the UN secretary general.
Stevenson was to return to the UN late today after Thant also had held meetings with Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Valerian A. Zorin and Cuban Ambassador Mario Garcia-Inchaustegui in an effort to avert war.
Indications mounted that direct action might be taken to eliminate Cuban missile bases. A heavy build-up of troops in Florida continued.
Cong. Hale Boggs (D-La.) said after a White House briefing that the U. S. would destroy the bases if they were not voluntarily removed.
In replies to an appeal by the UN secretary general, Kennedy emphasized that the blockade could not be lifted until the missiles and their bases had been removed. But he agreed to have Stevenson participate in talks.
