601.3938/1–950
Memorandum of Conversations, by the Director of the Office of Middle American Affairs ( Mann )
Subject: Visit to Department of Dr. Sebastian Rodríguez Lora, Former Dominican Chargé at Port-au-Prince
| Participants: | Mr. Thomas C. Mann, Director, MID |
| The Honorable Wm. E. DeCourcy, American Ambassador to Haiti | |
| Dr. Sebastian Rodríguez Lora, former Dominican Chargé at Port-au-Prince | |
| Mr. Charles C. Hauch, MID |
Dr. Rodríguez Lora called at the Department following his indication in his letter of December 291 to the Secretary of his willingness to come in and tell us something of recent political events in Haiti. His offer was accepted and an appointment was arranged with Mr. Mann for 3 p. m., Monday, January 9. His expected visit had been discussed with Ambassador DeCourcy,2 now in the Department on a special assignment, and it had been decided that upon Rodríguez Lora’s arrival he would be asked whether he had any objection to Ambassador DeCourcy’s being present at the conversation. Dr. Rodríguez Lora stated he had no such objection and would in fact welcome Ambassador DeCourcy’s presence; accordingly, Ambassador DeCourcy was called into the conversation.
Dr. Rodríguez Lora said he had come in to discuss the matter he had previously talked to Ambassador DeCourcy about, i.e., the background of the conspiracy discovered by the Haitian Government in December. He emphasized strongly several times during the conversation that his reasons for informing us and for quitting his post and leaving Haiti were that he could no longer as a matter of moral principle remain in the midst of a completely indecent and rotten situation, [Page 645] and that he wished to cooperate with the United States in making use of what he knows in the manner we deem best. He said that the United States is the last hope of decency in the world and that he prefers to regard himself as an American and to associate himself with the United States.
Dr. Rodríguez Lora then reviewed his understanding of the developments of the Haitian conspiracy. His account was substantially identical with what he had told Ambassador DeCourcy in Haiti. He said that he went to Haiti as Dominican Chargé several months ago, and much to his surprise received no particular instructions from either President Trujillo or the Foreign Minister as to the general lines of policy he was to follow. He said that before his departure from Ciudad Trujillo he had asked the Foreign Minister3 about instructions and the Minister had in turn asked him whether he had received any such instructions from the President. When Dr. Rodríguez Lora said he had not, the Foreign Minister made no further comment. Despite his lack of instructions Rodríguez Lora said that he had from the time of his arrival in Port-au-Prince endeavored to pursue a policy of improving relations between the two countries.
Dr. Rodríguez Lora said the first intimation he had of any Dominican involvement in a plot against Haiti occurred on or about November 4 when the Embassy received instructions from Ciudad Trujillo to have First Secretary Oscar R. de Moya go to the airport to meet the Haitian wife of Anselmo Paulino, former Dominican Minister of Interior and Police and a good friend of President Estimé’s arch enemy, ex-colonel Astrel Roland, who has been residing in the Dominican Republic.
According to Rodríguez Lora, de Moya went to the airport and did not return to the Embassy for some three or four hours. When he did return he was visibly agitated and showed Rodríguez Lora an unsigned typewritten paper which de Moya said he had received from Paulino’s wife and which stated at the top that it should not under any circumstances be shown the Dominican Chargé in Port-au-Prince. Rodríguez Lora said that he hastily looked over the paper and noted that it instructed de Moya to act as an on-the-spot intermediary between those planning the plot in the Dominican Republic and their Haitian conspirators. He specifically recalled seeing mentioned one name Jean Dupuy, the Haitian leader of the conspiracy who was later killed by the Haitian police. Following this incident, de Moya continued to be in touch with Dupuy, but Rodríguez Lora knew nothing of the details of what was going on until about the time the plot was discovered by the Haitian Government. He said that during this period notes were passed back and forth between de Moya [Page 646] and Dupuy. He said Dupuy sent a note in his own handwriting to de Moya stating that the time for the uprising was almost at hand and that de Moya should repair to the Dominican Chancery on the evening of December 19 and remain there, with his family. The overthrow of the Government was scheduled to take place between December 19 and December 21, he said. Later Dupuy, who had become personally friendly with de Moya, warned de Moya that the purpose of the conspirators was to kill de Moya and Rodríguez Lora and set the Embassy afire, in order to give the Dominicans a pretext for invading Haiti.
Shortly thereafter the plot was discovered by the Haitian Government, numerous arrests were made, and Dupuy was killed. Rodríguez Lora and de Moya subsequently visited Ambassador DeCourcy to give him the details of the plot. De Moya then left Haiti with his family on December 25 and came to the United States. Rodríguez Lora said that contrary to statements made by the Haitian Government, de Moya brought with him no funds which he was supposed to have in connection with the conspiracy. Rodríguez Lora said that de Moya, in fact, has no financial resources whatsoever at this time.
On December 26 Rodríguez Lora visited the Haitian Foreign Office on another matter, in the course of which the Haitian Foreign Minister4 referred to the information his government had discovered from the conspirators regarding Dominican participation therein. At this point Rodríguez Lora said he informed the Foreign Minister of the plan whereby he and de Moya would have been killed as part of the Dominican Government’s plan to justify invasion of Haiti. He said he made clear he was speaking to the Minister in complete confidence and was very much surprised and embarrassed when after his arrival in the United States he learned that the Haitian Government in its note to the OAS had referred to the remarks he had made to the Foreign Minister. He felt that the Haitians by this act had put him in a very difficult situation, and that until he had an opportunity to discuss the matter with us and seek our advice on how he should proceed he had felt obliged in his public statements to deny the Haitian assertions. He noted that his father and one brother are now in the Dominican Republic, the implication being that they might suffer were he to testify.
Rodríguez Lora said that upon his arrival in the United States he had written a lengthy letter to the Dominican Foreign Minister, with a copy for President Trujillo, indicating that he knew the details of the plot. Following this, he said the Dominican Government had endeavored some six times to phone him from Ciudad Trujillo and had offered him the position of Minister Counselor in the Dominican Embassy here, which he had accepted, full well realizing [Page 647] that it was an effort to purchase his silence and that he would be discharged, recalled, or transferred to a country friendly to the Dominican Government, such as Nicaragua, after the affair had blown over. He said that he has accepted the appointment as an interim measure but really wishes to remain in the United States. He asked what assurances we could give him on this point when the time comes for him to sever his connection with the Dominican Embassy. He said that he was not thinking of or requesting police protection because he did not think Trujillo would go so far as to endeavor to have him killed while he is in the United States. Insofar as his economic resources are concerned he said he is not worried about this since he owns a house and property in New York and would expect to secure employment if he remains here in a regular immigration status, with intention of becoming a resident.
Mr. Mann stated that we would look into the matter of his remaining in the United States and would let him know our views on this. Mr. Mann suggested that it was probable his movements in the United States were known to the Dominican Embassy. Dr. Rodríguez Lora stated that Ambassador Thomen had questioned him regarding his activities in Haiti but did not appear to have the full information which he (Rodríguez Lora) had sent the Dominican Foreign Office after his arrival in the United States.
Rodríguez Lora said that de Moya, who is now in New York, wished to talk to officers of the Department to tell what he knows about the affair. He said that on January 2 the Dominican Government had sent Paulino’s wife to New York to persuade de Moya to return to the Dominican Republic and had told him that he was to be named to a position in the Dominican Embassy in Santiago, Chile. De Moya had refused to return, and Paulino’s wife had gone back to the Dominican Republic about January 4 or 5. On January 8 de Moya’s father had arrived in New York from the Dominican Republic stating that he had been sent by the Dominican Government to urge his son to return home but his father had personally advised him to remain in the United States. De Moya had previously received a telegram from the Government stating that his father was coming to the United States to take him home.
Dr. Rodríguez Lora said that de Moya was also interested in ascertaining the possibility of his remaining in the United States on a permanent status. He is now staying in New York with his sister and her husband, Ruben Rosario Brache (79 Riverside Drive, Apartment 2–C, Telephone FO 8–0152). Dr. Rodríguez Lora said he was to phone de Moya immediately following this conference to advise him on the two points, i.e., his future immigration status and his willingness to talk to officers of the Department. Mr. Mann said that since we could not give Dr. Rodríguez Lora any definite information [Page 648] at this time he should get in touch with us again on the afternoon of January 10 at which time we would expect to be able to have some definite word from [for] him concerning the requirements for immigration visas.
Insofar as testimony before the COAS investigating committee by Rodríguez Lora and de Moya is concerned, Mr. Mann stated that he personally felt it would be best for them to defer making a decision on this until the nature of information available to the committee from other sources becomes known.5 Dr. Rodríguez Lora said he agreed.
During the conversation Dr. Rodríguez Lora was asked whether he thought a conspiracy in Haiti with Dominican Government backing could have been carried out without the knowledge of President Trujillo. Rodríguez Lora said this would have been impossible, since nothing in the Dominican Republic, and particularly things of this nature, can happen without Trujillo’s knowledge and direction. He said he felt the more disgusted with reference to this situation, having been instructed, only a few days before the plot was discovered in Haiti to deliver a letter from President Trujillo to President Estimé expressing the former’s desire to have better relations with Haiti. We then discussed with Rodríguez Lora President Trujillo’s possible motives in this affair, including what Rodríguez Lora said was his desire to dominate Haiti. Rodríguez Lora said that he does not think Trujillo wishes to incorporate Haiti into the Dominican Republic, but desires to have exclusive control over it, either through a friendly government or in some other way.
Dr. Rodríguez Lora again called on Mr. Mann, with Mr. Hauch present, by previous arrangement at 3 p. m. on January 10. The following points were mentioned:
- (1)
- Mr. Mann stated we were considering requesting the Justice Department to take certain preliminary steps so that if and when Dr. Rodríguez Lora and Mr. de Moya decide to request permanent immigration status in the United States the way will have been prepared to handle a request expeditiously;6
- (2)
- Mr. Mann said officers of the Department would be in New York in a few days and that they would receive Mr. de Moya in New York if de Moya still wished to discuss the situation;7
- (3)
- Dr. Rodríguez Lora stated that de Moya’s father was planning to return to the Dominican Republic within a day or so. He added that it was absolutely untrue that de Moya had been offered a position in the Dominican Embassy in Santiago, Chile, and asserted this had been told de Moya by Paulino’s wife only for the reason of getting him back to the Dominican Republic;
- (4)
- Dr. Rodríguez Lora inquired regarding his father and brother in the Dominican Republic. Mr. Mann said that no assurances of United States protection could be given but that he wondered if the Dominican Government did not already realize the disadvantages from the standpoint of world opinion of harming them.
It was arranged that Dr. Rodríguez Lora would telephone Mr. Mann again on Thursday, January 12, between 3 and 4 in order to obtain further information regarding the visit of Departmental officers to New York City.
- Not printed.↩
- William E. DeCourcy, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti.↩
- Virgilio Díaz Ordóñez.↩
- Vilfort Beauvoir.↩
- For mention of Minister Rodríguez Dora’s appearances before the Special Investigating Committee, see Annals, 1950, pp. 234, 242.↩
- In a letter of January 13, 1950, signed by Willard F. Barber, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, for the Secretary of State, to Attorney General J. Howard McGrath, the Department requested the Justice Department to waive certain normal requirements should Minister Rodríguez Dora and Sr. de Moya request permanent immigration status. (638.39/1–4350) On February 15, 1950, Peyton Ford, Assistant to the Attorney General, replied to Mr. Barber that the Immigration and Naturalization Service would comply with the Department’s request. (638.39/2–1550)↩
- In a memorandum of February 20, 1950, Mr. Hobart A. Spalding of the Office of Middle American Affairs reported on his interview with Sr. de Moya of January 22, 1950, and stated also that Sr. de Moya met informally with some members of the Special Investigating Committee on February 20. “The fact that the clarification of his immigration status was under consideration and the connection of this fact with his willingness to talk to members of the Committee were not made known to them by the Department.” (638.39/1–2250)↩