Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Cuba, Volume VI

615. Memorandum From the Acting Secretary of State to the President¹

Washington, December 2, 1960.

SUBJECT

• Cuba

Following the meeting on Cuba in your office on November 29,² there has been discussion in the 5412 Group concerning methods of better organizing this Government’s total program with respect to Cuba.

It was the decision of the Group that our overt and covert actions must be completely geared into each other. The Group’s further conclusion was that it would be impracticable to focus in one individual the responsibility for both programs but that a senior official in the State Department and a senior officer in CIA should devote their full time to the matter, working together in the closest intimacy. In line with established practice, it would be the State Department official who would coordinate the covert activities with our overt position and who would be directly responsible for conveying policy guidance to the Agency officer responsible for the actual conduct of the covert operations. [1 sentence (1½ lines) not declassified]

If you approve, I will name Ambassador Whiting Willauer as a special deputy to Assistant Secretary Mann to fill this position in the Department, recalling him immediately from Costa Rica. Similarly, Mr. Allen Dulles, with your approval, will name Mr. Tracy Barnes as the officer in the Agency to devote full time to the direction of the Agency’s program with respect to Cuba and to concert with Ambassador Willauer.

The 5412 Group further decided to recommend to you that this group composed of Messrs. Dulles, Gray, Douglas and Merchant should continue and intensify its general supervision of the covert operation and provide the Agency with general guidance in the operation. The Group will maintain close and regular liaison with Secretary Anderson of Treasury, or his designated representative, who will be invited to attend meetings of the Group when matters of important policy are under consideration. The Group further considered that it should meet, together with the members’ individual principals, with you from time to time as it deemed necessary or as you desired.

The Group was also of the opinion that it would be extremely useful to request Mr. Pawley as an immediate mission to call on President Frondizi in a private capacity (though of course every facility would be provided him by the Embassy and [less than 1 line not declassified]) to ascertain in detail the latter’s attitude with respect to the present situation in Cuba and the extent to which he might be prepared to contribute to its solution.

Both Mr. Dulles and myself would be happy to inform you in greater detail concerning the qualifications of Ambassador Willauer and Mr. Barnes as well as the reasons for recommending the form of dual organization described above, should you so desire. In the meantime, I enclose brief biographic sketches of them.³

Douglas Dillon

1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series. Top Secret. No drafting or clearance information is given on the source text.
2. See Document 613.
3. Not printed.