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

61. Memorandum for the Record¹

Washington, May 8, 1965, 2:25–3:35 p.m.

SUBJECT

• Meeting in the Cabinet Room at 1400 on 8 May 1965

PARTICIPANTS

• The President
• For State: Messrs. Rusk, Ball, Mann, Harriman, and Vaughn
• For Defense: McNamara and McNaughton
• For AID: Mr. Gaud
• For USIA: Mr. Wilson
• For the White House: Messrs. Bundy, Chase, and Valenti
• For CIA: Messrs. Raborn and Helms

1. This meeting on the situation in the Dominican Republic covered the following items:

A) The military contributions of various Latin American countries to the Inter-American Force at Santo Domingo.

B) An assessment of Balaguer and Bosch in which it was brought up that Balaguer has a longer-term usefulness, whereas Boschʼs excessive statement appears to be damaging his cause and going against him.²

C) The relief effort in the Dominican Republic was outlined.

D) Mr. Mann presented the scenario of United States Government consultation with the Organization of American States.

E) The President approved a statement explaining why the United States Government would not grant immediate recognition to the Government of General Imbert but emphasized that the wording should be used as a guide for oral briefing, not for official issuance.³

F) Ambassador Harriman reported on his visit to eight Latin American countries during the preceding week.⁴ He underlined the extent to which various chiefs of state and chiefs of government were personally behind President Johnsonʼs action in the Dominican Republic but identified in each case the reasons why local domestic problems prevented these government officials from making public statement to this effect.

G) In the context of discussing other Latin American countries which might have revolts in the immediate future, the President emphasized that he wants important intelligence items marked up for him in such a way that he will be obliged to read them on a priority basis.

(On 9 May, the undersigned met with Messrs. Cline and Graham, of DDI, and with Mr. Lloyd George, of DD/P, to get them to work devising a system, in consultation with Mr. Bundy, as to how priority intelligence items should be brought to the Presidentʼs attention.)

H) Ambassador Harriman asked, and the President approved, that the Agency circularize all Latin American embassies with the CIA write-up on Communist involvement in the Dominican revolt.⁵ It was also agreed that a sanitized version of the first twelve pages of this publication would be promptly made and given to appropriate agencies of Government for use in background briefings.

(As a result of this meeting, extra effort was placed on finishing the sanitization, which was put on the wire by 1900 on 8 May with instructions for its use in the field by Ambassadors and by our Station Chiefs.)

I) The subject of photographing and fingerprinting Communist activists in the Dominican Republic was discussed at various times during the meeting.⁶ After much argument pro and con, the President finally approved the working out of an operational plan in conjunction with General Palmer whereby a small percentage of those hard-core individuals would be photographed, and, where possible, fingerprinted, as they passed through check points or were detained elsewhere. The President indicated that he wanted the Secretary of State to approve the procedure and desired that, to the extent possible, we get OAS blessing on this approach. It was agreed that in working on this problem we would do everything possible to devise covers for holding people long enough for photography and fingerprinting and that we would do everything possible to engage the cooperation of the Dominican police both in Santo Domingo and throughout the countryside.

Richard Helms ⁷
Deputy Director

1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (Helms) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Folder 13, Chron as DDCI and DCI, 1 January–31 December, 1965. Secret. Drafted on May 13. The time of the meeting is from the Presidentʼs Daily Diary. (Johnson Library) Another record of this meeting is ibid., Office of the President File, Valenti Meeting Notes.
2. The United States wanted Bosch to recognize the danger of a Castro-Communist takeover and the need to eliminate it, to call for an end to the killing and a resumption of public services, and to accept the presence of U.S. forces for the minimum period needed to maintain order in the Dominican Republic. Instead on May 3 Bosch said that the pattern of 1916 was being repeated: “the U.S. Marines occupy … the sacred soil of Juan Pablo Duarte,” … “force exercised by a powerful country against a weak nation.” ( Martin, Overtaken by Events, p. 679)
3. This statement has not been found. Telegram 872 to Santo Domingo, May 7, reported: “we welcome formation of Council of National Reconstruction and agree they should assert right to recognition.” However, “we regard this as an interim grouping” and “recognition of Council by U.S. would make collective responsibility and action impossible.” (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 23–9 DOM REP)
4. According to Valentiʼs notes of the meeting, Harriman visited Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Panama. Harriman reported that Brazil and Panama were “very friendly,” and Argentina and Colombia would “probably send troops.” The remaining countries would not contribute troops, but would help in other ways. (Johnson Library, Office of the President File, Valenti Meeting Notes)
5. Document 60.
6. In a May 8 briefing memorandum to the President, Bundy wrote that Raborn thinks fingerprinting of suspected Communists would be very helpful to the CIA in trying to get solid data on Communists. “All the rest of US think there are severe propaganda disadvantages in having U.S. forces fingerprinting Dominicans on Dominican soil. I have asked Raborn to produce a plan at the meeting which would meet his purposes with absolute minimum visibility, and this matter is one which you will have to adjudicate because there are differences on it at the top levels of the different agencies.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, McGeorge Bundy Memos to the President, Vol. X, April 15–May 31, 1965)
7. Printed from a copy that indicates Helms signed the original.