Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VII, Public Diplomacy, 1964–1968

42. Memorandum From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Rowan) to President Johnson¹

Washington, May 1, 1965

In response to your suggestion this morning,² I have dispatched the following officers to the Dominican Republic.³

Donald M. Wilson, Deputy Director, who will remain there long enough to establish a first-rate information and psychological program within the Dominican Republic and to see that the press briefings and other programs are so organized as to win us the maximum possible support in Latin America and other countries.

Serban Vallimarescu, a USIA public affairs expert, who formerly was Tom Mann’s press advisor and now serves in that capacity with Jack Vaughn.

Darrell Carter, another USIA officer with long experience in Latin America, and Ray Millette and Ray Aylor of Voice of America, who will provide the technical and other know-how in beaming broadcasts to the people of the Dominican Republic.

A team of this size is needed to bolster USIA’s normal staff of two Americans.

This team will depart Washington at 4 pm today.

A psychological warfare unit of the Army will follow so as to provide needed support.

I have asked Don Wilson to make recommendations to me, for discussion among the principals, as to actions and statements that we might take to win greater support among the Dominicans and Latin Americans in general.

Carl T. Rowan

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Latin America—Dominican Republic, Box 49, Dominican Republic USIA Psychological Situation Reports, 5/65. Secret.
2. A meeting was held on May 1 at 8:40 a.m. in the White House Cabinet Room, which the President joined at 9:40 a.m., to discuss the Dominican Republic situation. Rowan, Rusk, McNamara, Raborn, Bunker, Ball, Wheeler, Mann, Valenti, Moyers, Goodwin, Smith, McGeorge Bundy, Harriman, and Marvin Watson also attended the meeting. (Foreign Relations, 1964–1968, vol. XXXII, Dominican Republic; Cuba; Haiti; Guyana, Document 49, footnote 9) Valenti recorded details of the meeting in handwritten notes, which are in the Johnson Library, Special Files, Office of the President File, Valenti Meeting Notes, Meeting in Cabinet Room, May 1, 1965, 8:40 a.m.
3. USIA sent these officers to the Dominican Republic in the aftermath of the outbreak of civil war and the deployment of U.S. military forces to the country in late April. (Willard Edwards, “Marines Enter Domingo,” Chicago Tribune, April 29, 1965, p. N1) For further information about the situation in the Dominican Republic, see Foreign Relations, 1964–1968, vol. XXXII, Dominican Republic; Cuba; Haiti; Guyana, Documents 1, 18, 35, and 68.