Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXXII, Dominican Republic; Cuba; Haiti; Guyana

52. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Dominican Republic¹

Washington, May 2, 1965, 2:42 p.m.

742. Please get in touch with OAS Commission and Mora soonest² and inform them on strictly confidential basis (they should understand clearly that this is secret for time being) that US finds it necessary to maintain line of communication (line of communication instead of “cordon” or other words is the phrase that should be uniformly used) between the safety perimeter which contains a part of US armed forces and across to Duarte Bridge and on to San Isidro airfield where other part of US armed forces are located.

This line of communication must be maintained for protection of zone and to maintain access to airfield so as to make possible evacuation of persons of all nationalities. Also overland communication between San Isidro and safety zone is necessary for elementary military reasons.

Endeavor obtain from OAS Commission:

(a) Tacit or if possible expressed recognition that maintenance of essential line of communication is not violation of cease fire and is not aggressive in design.

(b) Request that line of communication between San Isidro and safety zone be maintained.

(c) OAS Commission statement to Dominican people to be made by best means available and to be timed not more than fifteen minutes in advance of departure of US forces from Duarte Bridge towards safety zone.

Hopefully this announcement would prevent forces between the bridge and the safety zone from misinterpreting maintenance of communication line as offensive against them and hence reduce bloodshed.

We leave exact hour of announcement to you and General Palmer inasmuch as we do not yet know the exact hour of departure of US forces from Duarte Bridge. Repeat it is important that announcement be coordinated closely with departure so as not to give excessive advance opportunity to hostile forces to group along communication line.

Strictly FYI. Line of communication will be essentially the one scouted yesterday by 82nd Airborne patrol. Establishment of other possible perimeters have been considered and discarded. We understand that Defense wishes that movement be made in daylight hours. If we receive Commission approval in time to proceed this afternoon, this will be done. Otherwise it is planned that movement will take place tomorrow morning. Would therefore appreciate early estimate on when we may expect word from you regarding OAS Commissionʼs reaction.

We will maintain line of communication irrespective of attitude of Commission. But we think that cooperation of Commission gives US political base and hopefully reduces dimensions of fighting. It would be good if you could get agreement from Commission on all three points but any one of three would be better than none.

Defense is issuing necessary instructions along these general lines to General Palmer. End strictly FYI.

Rusk

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 23–9 DOM REP. Secret; Flash. Drafted and approved by Mann.
2. On May 1 OAS Secretary General José A. Mora of Costa Rica arrived in Santo Domingo at 9 a.m.; the next day the OAS Commission arrived in Santo Domingo at noon. This commission comprised members of five countries: Ambassador Richard M. Colombo of Argentina, Ambassador Ilmar Penna Marinho of Brazil, Ambassador Alfredo Vasquez Carrisoza of Colombia, Ambassador Carlos Garcia Bauer of Guatemala, and Ambassador Frank Morrice, Jr., of Panama.