Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Volume V, Microfiche Supplement, American Republics

DR–2. Memorandum from the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom) to the Secretary of State¹

Washington, June 26, 1958

SUBJECT

• Your Appointment With Ambassador Farland Today at 12:15 p.m.² Dominican Congressional Resolution to Cancel Agreements With United States

Ambassador Farland wishes to discuss briefly the problems presented by the Dominican Congress’ adoption of a Joint Resolution last week (Tab A)³ calling for the termination of various agreements with the United States relating to military and technical cooperation, and the operation of a guided missile facility in the Dominican Republic. This Resolution is now under study by the Executive Branch of the Dominican Government which is expected to take a decision by July 2. Ambassador Farland plans to deliver our views to the Dominican Foreign Minister this Saturday or Sunday.

Background:

The Dominican Government under the dominance of Generalissimo Trujillo took this action because of its resentment over the steady criticism it has received from certain members of our Congress and press as a result of the Galíndez-Murphy affair, and the extravagant indiscretions of General Trujillo, Jr. The final insult (in their eyes) was the recent decision of our Command and General Staff College not to grant a diploma to General Trujillo Jr. because of his long absences and low academic standing, although this factor is not included in the bill of particulars drawn up by the Dominican Congress.

Our Objectives and Proposed Action:

Our objectives in this situation are to preserve our right to operate the missile tracking station for the ten years agreed upon; continue our mutual security program if the Dominicans decide after mature consideration that it is in their interest to do so; and to minimize the repercussions of the present incident on our long-term interest of carrying on normal friendly relations with the Dominican Republic as one of the American Republics. To achieve these objectives we plan to inform the Dominicans by formal note or aide-memoire that it is our policy to seek normal friendly relations with the other American Republics and to carry on present cooperative programs if there is a corresponding disposition on their part. We are trying to avoid any appearance in the eyes of the world of threatening or cajoling the Dominicans in this matter, or of knuckling under to this type of pressure.

Attached is a biographic summary of Mr. Farland (Tab B). The Ambassador will be accompanied by Mr. C. Allan Stewart.⁴

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 739.5-MSP/6–1958. Confidential. A note on the source written by Dulles’ secretary, Phyllis D. Bernau, indicated that the Secretary saw this memorandum.
2. Ambassador Farland was in Washington for consultations, June 23–27, 1958.
3. No attachments were found with the source text. A copy of the joint resolution adopted on June 18 was transmitted to the Department of State in despatch 612 from Ciudad Trujillo, June 18, 1958. (739.5–MSP/6–1958)
4. Deputy Director of the Office of Middle American Affairs. In a memorandum to Rubottom dated June 25, Stewart explained in detail the background to the joint resolution, and he recommended that Farland deliver to the Dominican Government a formal note acknowledging the actions of the Dominican Congress (739.5–MSP/6–1958) Rubottom approved the recommendation on June 27. No record of a meeting between the Secretary and the Ambassador was found in Department of State files.