739.5 MSP/12–252: Telegram
The Chargé in the Dominican Republic (Johnson) to the Department of State
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137. Pass USDel IADB, Pentagon. Deptel 67, Dec 4.1 At request [Page 935] FonMin Diaz Ordonez I called him at 1030 hours today. FonMin said light great interest Commander-in-Chief Armed Forces Generalissimo Trujillo in milit assistance agrmt it wld be impossible go forward with negots his absence. He said he had called me in to tell me this so members our milit team might make their plans correspondingly. He also said he presumed there was no great urgency re conclusion this negot. To avoid direct answer his question I asked if he thought it likely Generalissimo planned discuss any aspects of milit asst agrmt while in US. Diaz Ordonez replied affirmatively without hesitation stating that Generalissimo had taken with him high-level team including Manuel Pena Batlle2 for this purpose. It is unanimous view Thompson,3 Gilmer,4 and me that Generalissimo wishes sign agrmt Wash and that will do so with little or no quibbling. This may partly explain Dom prolongation this negot although we still feel that question delivery F–47’s likewise exercised substantial influence.5
- The Department of State telegram 67, to Ciudad Trujillo, dated Dec. 4, 1952, instructed the Embassy to indicate whether, in its opinion, the delivery of six F–47 aircraft to the Dominican Republic on Dec. 2, 1952, would cause the Dominican Government to proceed with the negotiations for a military assistance agreement with the intention of reaching a final agreement at the earliest possible date (739.5 MSP/11–2552).↩
- Manuel A. Peña Batlle, president, Dominican National Development Commission, and economic adviser to Generalissimo Trujillo.↩
- Presumably Lee Thompson Stull, Second Secretary and Vice Consul, U.S. Embassy, Ciudad Trujillo.↩
- Lt. Cmdr. Howard Campbell Gilmer. Naval Attaché and Naval Attaché for Air, U.S. Embassy, Ciudad Trujillo.↩
- The Dominican Government had purchased 25 F–47 aircraft in May 1952.↩