Office of the Historian

336. Memorandum of Conversation1

SecDel/MC/48
New York, December 10, 1964, 11 a.m.

SECRETARYʼS DELEGATION TO THE NINETEENTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

New York, December 1964

SUBJECT

  • Revolutionary Action by Haitian Officials

PARTICIPANTS

  • U.S.
    • The Secretary
    • Mr. Irwin, ARA
    • Mr. Glenn, Interpreter
  • Foreign
    • Rene Chalmers, Foreign Minister of Haiti

The Secretary said that he wished to comment briefly regarding the mounting of military forays against Haiti from United States soil. The Secretary emphasized that such action is illegal in the United States and that the policy of the United States Government is not to permit such action to occur on its territory. The Secretary said that it is not possible to take action against people who only plot with their tongues—that, too, would be contrary to our law. However, the United States would be pleased to be informed through our Embassy of any actual plots the Government of Haiti believes might be afoot. He assured the Foreign Minister that the United States would take measures, as it had in the past, against such action.

The Haitian Foreign Minister replied that there have been several conversations through the two Embassies on this matter. He recognized that the United States Government does not tolerate such action on United States soil. He said that he fully realized that when the Government of Haiti reports such suspicions to the American Embassy that they are transmitted to Washington. The Minister said that he wished to speak frankly, however that in the last invasion, the Haitian Government took two prisoners and a large amount of matériel. He said that a large part of this matériel had come from Syracuse, New York and, although the prisoners may have been attempting to mislead the GOH, they made statements to the effect that they had been trained on United States territory. He said that he had discussed the matter with Ambassador Timmons, saying that he did not believe the United States [Page 784] was responsible. However, at this time, he wished to suggest the possibility of some low-level United States officials being involved, or persons who belong to some “quasi organization.” The Minister concluded that he believed it behooved him to prepare a complete file on this subject for the Secretary.

The Secretary said he would appreciate this, and asked that the Minister have the American Embassy address the report to his personal attention. He repeated his disavowal of any United States participation in rebel activities, and said that all over the world rebel elements falsely claim the support of the United States for their own advantage.

  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–67, POL HAITI–US. Confidential. Drafted by Irwin and approved in S on December 30. The memorandum is part V of VII.↩