Office of the Historian

8. Telegram From the Embassy in the Dominican Republic to the Department of State1

Santo Domingo, June 8, 1964, noon.

1108. For Crockett ARA. Embtel 1106; Deptel 667.2

Much heartened by receipt your 667. We must hope Bonilla will talk in same way to Reid as he does to us. I believe best way to forward that project is for Mann to keep pressure on Bonilla. You might go so far in this eveningʼs meeting with Bonilla as to suggest that, since aid discussion scheduled for tomorrow 4 p.m. between triumvirate and our team has been announced to press by Reid as “invitation of formal negotiations on program U.S. aid for DOM Rep,” it would be useful have him to advise Reid of Washington discussions before meeting here.

Reid took initiative yesterday to have lengthy conversation with [less than 1 line of source text not declassified], later joined by other two attachés. I consider this was a most useful encounter, since they got down to brass tacks on graft, corruption in armed forces and elsewhere. Reid asked for it and he got it in accord with lines worked out among us beforehand. Reid was in sober state of mind and his manner indicated realization his part things not going well lately. I believe our team made some first downs.

In view Reidʼs frank admission yesterdayʼs conversation extent of graft in local society and his professed desire to take steps to correct situation as he mentioned some definite plans being readied, I believe it would be useful for Mann to touch on this issue, as discussed paragraphs 3 and 9 my tel 1106. It is admittedly delicate subject and one hard to prove (although attachés did not fail to give Reid some specific cases yesterday), but representation could be made to Bonilla on grounds that aid program will lose value, as well as moral validity, and will not achieve desired results for either side if its administration is attempted in atmosphere of squandering and corruption.

Bennett
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, FN 10 DOM IMF. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Passed to the White House.↩
  2. Documents 6 and 7.↩