Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXXII, Dominican Republic; Cuba; Haiti; Guyana

348. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Vaughn) to Secretary of State Rusk¹

Washington, October 21, 1965.

SUBJECT

• Recommended Response to President Duvalierʼs Letter to the President

Discussion:

There is attached (Tab B) a translation of a letter of August 12 to the President from President Duvalier of Haiti, and a recommended response to be signed by you (Tab A).²

Duvalierʼs rambling six-page letter appears intended to prompt an offer of renewed US military assistance and to remind the President that we have not acted favorably on an earlier letter, received in June,³ requesting resumption of large-scale economic aid (except for a verbal acknowledgment by Ambassador Timmons no reply was made to the June letter). Although the letter of August 12 proposes that Duvalier and the President “have a meeting”, the context indicates fairly clearly that Duvalier is willing to view the proposed meeting as spiritual and figurative rather than physical.

I believe that the President should not sign a letter to Duvalier. Any communication from the President-however innocuous-might receive publicity which we would prefer to avoid. While I do not discount the possibility that Duvalier might react strongly to this apparent “brush off” of his overtures to the President, I believe that it is unlikely that his annoyance will take any overt form. As you know, Haitiʼs chronic economic problems have reached new proportions and there are indications that Duvalier feels that he cannot afford any action that might affect Haitiʼs standing with the USG or the international agencies from which he also hopes to gain assistance. Even though I am now reviewing our position in Haiti to determine whether there are some areas in which we might be able to offer some accommodation to Duvalier, I believe it would be unwise to delay further our reply to his letter.

Recommendation:⁴

I suggest that you sign the attached letter to Duvalier (Tab A).

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL HAITI-US. Secret. Drafted by Maureen Harris (ARA/CAR).
2. Tabs A and B are attached, but not printed. At Tab B was the “confidential” letter which, according to a handwritten note file with the translation of Duvalierʼs letter, indicates it was hand delivered by the Haitian Ambassador to Chief of Protocol Lloyd Hand for the President and delivered to the White House on September 16. (Johnson Library, Special Head of State Correspondence File, Haiti-Duvalier Correspondence)
3. Reference is to the “administrative” letter; see Document 344.
4. A handwritten note by Bromley Smith filed with the translation of Duvalierʼs letter cited in footnote 2 above indicates that “reply is to come from Secretary not President.”