711.39/5–647: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Dominican Republic (Butler) to the Secretary of State
97. Recent Embassy despatches have reported on the critical attitude of several chiefs of mission of resident diplomatic corps to the Trujillo Government.8 During a conversation with Foreign Minister9 last evening he spoke informally about political situation and attitude of diplomatic corps. He made a direct plea for my assistance in bringing about a more friendly and cooperative attitude so as to help him in his task. He claimed that for his part he always has been able to get along very well with the diplomatic corps and always is ready to extend every cooperation.
I pointed out to the Foreign Minister that the Embassy has cooperated in cases where such action is to the mutual advantage of the two peoples and governments. I reiterated the policy of absolute nonintervention—neither opposition to nor support of the Trujillo administration—in Dominican political affairs. I told him that I was making a very conscientious effort to be objective and fair but that, speaking very frankly, I was forced to the conclusion that democratic institutions [Page 634] and practices, as we conceive of them in the US, did not exist in the Dominican Republic. I told him that that was the job of the Dominican people and that the US did not intend to interfere. I reminded him that President Truman had instructed me to cooperate fully on the basis of the inter-American system, as outlined by President Truman in his Pan-American Day address last year.10
The Foreign Minister then made the usual argument that cooperation is essential to combat Communism. I assured him that the last desire or intention of this Embassy was to give any encouragement or support to Communists, but I expressed the opinion that all political opposition is not necessarily Communist. The Foreign Minister could see no problem except the world wide and extremely dangerous Communist threat. I repeated that my own government intended to continue the fight for real democracy and all that it implied, and that in my opinion any anti-democratic forces, whether of the right or the left, were contrary to the democratic principles of the inter-American system.
It is possible that the Foreign Minister will seek permission from President Trujillo to talk to me again in order “to convince me that real democracy exists in the Dominican Republic and that Trujillo has the overwhelming support of the Dominican people”. This development of course is directly related to the coming elections and to an obviously critical attitude on the part of some chiefs of mission here. Unless instructed to the contrary, I shall continue to express to the Foreign Minister views similar to those outlined above. I should like to add that the Government of the US necessarily must base its policies on conclusions drawn from all of the information available to the Department over a period of 20 years and more, and to emphasize again that our present relations with the Dominican Government indicate neither support of nor opposition to President Trujillo.