327. Telegram From the Department of State to the Consulate General in the Dominican Republic 1
606. Contel 964.2 Our ability arm you with additional specific pressures limited at present to positioning one to three naval units at point [Page 679] just below horizon from Ciudad Trujillo, on call to move within sight of shore immediately should you so request. Ships will be on station morning eighteenth. You should not make this known for present.
Secretary made following voluntary statement in press conference today:
“In OAS there are two questions immediately in front of us. One has to do with the Dominican Republic. Question before OAS is whether there could be now a partial lifting of so-called sanctions against Dominican Republic. This possibility is directly related to events in Dominican Republic itself. Those turn on events which may change on hour-to-hour basis.
On one side we have been encouraged by tendencies in Dominican Republic to move toward more moderate and constitutional government embracing broader elements of population in political and constitutional affairs and moving toward kind government which Dominican people themselves could respect and which would win esteem international community states. Just as there has been some confusion in last few hours as to exactly what is happening in Dominican Republic I would not anticipate that OAS would feel itself in position act immediately upon suggestions which our representative made this week that subject.”
We are urgently considering other means pressure and will advise you further.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 739.00/11-1761. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution; Verbatim Text. Drafted by Crimmins, cleared by Coerr, and approved by Woodward.↩
- Document 326.↩