Office of the Historian

HA–16. Telegram from the Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Haiti1

Washington, July 10, 1959, 7:57 p.m.

24. Embtel 10 and Deptel 20.2

Department most sympathetic plight Haitians and will do all possible be responsive their request. Outcome present OAS consideration Caribbean problem not yet clear and in view categoric assurances Castro that no expeditions will be launched from Cuba, read to OAS committee today by Cuban Foreign Minister Roa, Department feels some of heat is off if for no other reason than attention of hemisphere countries being focused on Cuban performance this regard.

Although risks are involved, Department believes that patrol as requested by Haitians should not be established at this juncture. Possibility such patrol being kept under consideration but immediate steps being limited to following: (1) Navy will hold USS Barry in Port-au-Prince two or three days beyond scheduled Sunday departure (we considering requesting that vessel this type be maintained Port-au-Prince for duration immediate crisis) and (2) Navy arranging visit of destroyer-type vessel to Cap Haitian, to arrive Monday morning.

Request Ambassador inform Foreign Minister that Department giving [Facsimile Page 2] active and high-level consideration Haitian request with full awareness emergency conditions, that Cuban FonMin again committed his government to non-intervention policy today in OAS and that pending final decision on Haitian request, Navy taking two steps described [Typeset Page 767] above. Request Embassy arrange clearance ship visit to Cap Haitian. Department passing similar info to Bonhomme Saturday3 morning.

Herter
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 738.00/7–1059. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Little; cleared in draft with Rubottom and John C. Dreier, Acting Director of the Office of Inter-American Regional Political Affairs; cleared in substance with Captain R. Kefauver, Head of the Western Hemisphere Branch of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; and signed by Wieland. Donhauser was also informed of the telegram’s substance.↩
  2. Telegram 10 from Port-au-Prince is printed as Document HA–15. Telegram 20 to Port-au-Prince, transmitted on July 9, informed the Embassy that the Haitian Chargé Gaston Woel has delivered a note to the Department of State, the substance of which had been accurately summarized in telegram 10 from Port-au-Prince. (738.00/7–859)↩
  3. July 12.↩