66. Letter From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Marks) to the Chairman of the Subcomittee on International Organizations and Movements, House Committee on Foreign Affairs (Fascell)1
This is in response to your letter of October 13, addressed to Mr. John Chancellor, Director of the Voice of America.2 You asked for a report on the activities of the Voice of America with respect to the Dominican Republic during the crisis which resulted in sending U.S. Marines to that country.3 This information is detailed below.
From the very beginning in April, 1965, the Voice of America, particularly the Latin American and Worldwide English Divisions, gave heavy coverage in depth to developments in the Dominican Republic, including events leading up to the attack by the insurgents, and explanations of subsequent action taken by the United States. This coverage included President Johnson’s message on the sending of the Marines to the Dominican Republic, carried live and repeated in full or excerpted numerous times; reports from OAS headquarters on the deliberations of the Council climaxed by the report on the vote for the inter-American peace force; Ambassador Bunker’s statement thanking the Council for its vote; special interview with Secretary-General Jose Mora; special reports from the U.N., State Department and White House; and the Thomas Mann interview originally aired on the “Today” show.4 The collective aspect of the Dominican situation was stressed and President Johnson’s and Ambassador Stevenson’s allegations on Red involvement were backed up with eye-witness accounts by evacuees who were interviewed by VOA correspondents in Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
President Johnson’s subsequent message on the sending of more troops and his report to the Nation on the Dominican situation were carried live, as were highlights of his remarks to the AFL–CIO. Ambas [Page 188] sador Stevenson’s statements at the U.N. were broadcast in full. Statements by Anthony Solomon, Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, from Santo Domingo and an interview with Ricardo Colombo, head of the OAS Peace Mission, constituted further coverage. Other officials included in the broadcasts were the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Cyrus Vance; Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs, Jack Vaughn; and ex-President Betancourt. The humanitarian aspects of the embarkation, as well as the support voiced by Brazil, Costa Rica and other Latin American countries, were given good play.
In addition to the many correspondents’ reports, and commentaries and editorial roundups by our Central Program Services Division, the Spanish Branch aired a special 15-minute program on the Dominican Republic which included interviews with OAS Secretary-General Jose Mora, Elis Antonio Perez (a Dominican journalist), and Cesar Ortiz (a U.N. observer). Along with daily OAS and U.N. spots were statements by Colonel Oswaldo Lopez A., Chief of the Honduran Government; and by Francisco J. Orlich, President of Costa Rica. Several interviews were recorded in Santo Domingo, including one with the Guatemalan Ambassador in the Dominican Republic.
Effectiveness of the Spanish Branch broadcasts is evidenced by the fact that more than ninety stations in ten Latin American countries rebroadcast portions of the Spanish programs or relayed the news directly, via medium wave, to their listeners.
During the period May 1, 1965, through May 25, 1965, the following material was included in the Spanish Branch broadcasts on the situation in the Dominican Republic:
| Correspondents Reports | 80 |
| Commentaries, Analyses and General Features | 85 |
| Statements by Officials | 35 |
| OAS and UN Reports | 40 |
| Editorial Roundups | 30 |
| Interviews with Evacuees | 45 |
| Total | 315 |
All of the 315 programs were directly concerned with events leading up to and throughout the crisis.
Due to the explosive situation, the Spanish Branch modified its 9-hour schedule on Saturday, May 1, and began broadcasting 24 hours a day to Latin America. The Brazilian Branch remained on its usual schedule, but included a great amount of material on the Dominican Republic in its broadcasts.
From May 1 until May 12, all of the Spanish programs were devoted exclusively to the Dominican question. On May 12, the Branch resumed its usual 9-hour daily schedule, with emphasis, however, on Dominican [Page 189] developments. In addition, it continued its broadcasts beamed directly to the Dominican Republic during the hours of 12:30 AM to 7:00 AM, 10:00 AM through 6:30 PM. Programs during the 14½ hours to the Republic included a 15-minute newscast on the hour, a 5-minute newscast on the half-hour, with music between. Newscasts during the regular 9-hour schedule consisted of 10 minutes on the hour.
On May 25, the Branch eliminated the 12:30 AM to 7:00 AM broadcasts to the Dominican Republic, but continued with its regular normal 9-hour broadcasts to Latin America and the 10:00 AM through 6:30 PM direct broadcasts to the Dominican Republic. The news patterns remained the same. The Branch continued to broadcast 17½ hours per day until June 8 when it returned to its normal schedule.
The Voice of America has not modified its broadcast schedule to Latin America since June 8, 1965. It has continued to report developments in the Dominican Republic, including the establishment of the Provisional Government, in its regularly scheduled broadcasts.
I trust the foregoing supplies the facts needed by your Subcommittee. If we can be of further service, please let us know.
Sincerely,
- Source: National Archives, RG 306, DIRCTR Subj Files, 1963–69, Bx 6–29 63–69: Acc: #72A5121, Entry UD WW 257, Box 24, Broadcasting Service—General 1965. No classification marking. The letter was taken in draft from Chancellor, transmitted in an October 21 memorandum to Plesent, and edited and typed by M. Cox (IGC) on October 22. Cleared by and copied to Hanson and Ryan.↩
- Not found.↩
- See Document 41. United States actions in the Dominican Republic during this period are detailed at length in Foreign Relations, 1964–1968, vol. XXXII, Dominican Republic; Cuba; Haiti; Guyana, Documents 1–222.↩
- American morning television news program.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩