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  4. Document 108

108. Letter From Senator Hubert Humphrey to the Acting Director of the United States Information Agency (Wilson)1

Washington, January 21, 1963.
Dear Don:

Thank you for your note of January 15th and the policy statement of USIA in re Cuba.2

I was very interested in this policy statement and found it helpful. I guess I maybe become a little overexcited about the importance of policy concerning Cuba as well as our often-repeated position to Castro and all his works.

It is still my view that a few more policy statements need to be made not only by the President but by other important officials of our government concerning the hopes and aspirations that we have for the Cuban people. The friends of democracy in Latin America need to know that we not only oppose tyranny and Communism, but that we also actively support and champion freedom and democracy. We are rightly proud of our great military strength and the fact that we were able to face up to the Soviet military challenge and compel the Russian dictator to back down. To me, however, the United States is more than a military power. It is a living manifestation of the hopes and aspirations of people who yearn for freedom. We must never forget the importance [Page 282] of the idealistic, the spiritual, the political, and the social factors in this struggle with the Communists.

This is just another way of saying that I think we need to do more of what was stated on page four3 of the policy guidance bulletin that you made available to me.

It was a pleasure to have you at our home on the occasion of the visit of President-elect Juan Bosch of the Dominican Republic.

Kindest regards.

Sincerely yours,

Hubert H. Humphrey 4
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, RG 306, DIRCTR Sub Files, 1963–69, Bx 6–29 63–69: Acc: #72A5121, Entry UD WW 257, Box 8, Field—Latin America—Cuba, 1963. No classification marking. Wilson initialed the top right corner of the letter. Humphrey was a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.↩
  2. A copy of Wilson’s note is ibid. The policy statement is presumably USIA News Policy Note No. 2–63. A copy is ibid.↩
  3. In his January 15 note to Humphrey, Wilson highlighted the reference on page 4 to “our future hopes for Cuba.”↩
  4. Humphrey signed “Hubert H.” above his typed signature.↩