FACTS WOULD CLARIFY DOMINICAN DEBATE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000100250007-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 4, 2000
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: November 21, 1955
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved Rof R> as000/05/05 : CIA-RDP75-00149R
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POST
E. 255,318
8. 352 , 316
NOV 2 1995
CPYRGHT
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Facts Would Clarify Dominican Debate
E don't know with whom the fault lies The State Department says the Foreign Af
-or whether it is anyone's exclusive fairs Committee agreed that State Department
burden - but the American people- are -.1' testimony was to be secret by mutual agree
being cheated in the handling of facts on the ment.
rebellion in the ? Dominican Republic. But on Nov. 13, information reported to b
It's not only a case of "managed news" on actual testimony before Fullbright's group,
the part of the Johnson administration but also appeared on page one of the New York Times.
on the part of the administration's enemies. Invidious quotes concerning rebel leader Juan
When the Dominican revolt broke out last Bosch were attributed to Thomas Mann.
April, President Johnson sent in American About the same time, other testimony leaks
Marines, later supplemented by an inter-clairrrecl... had evidence Bobby Baker,
American peace force. The reason announced', the much-fives ated U.S. Senate aide, had
first was to protect American lives; later the had financial dealings with supporters o
President said the revolt was directed by Com Bosch.
munists from Cuba and needed to be fore ~-+HE 'administration, almost as if dueling
stalled. T back, now has put forth a State Department
Both contentions have been challenged, most' paper detailing Communist involvement in the
notably by Sen. J. W. Fulbright, D?Ark., chair- April revolt and detailing the actions of Cuban
man of the Senate Foreign Relations Com- Communists.
mittee. It's hard to make conclusions from these
Fulibright, for reasons not entirely clear, conflicts of evidence. The American public is
has fallen. into a bitter personal feud with being bombarded with two different points of
Thomas Mann, President Johnson's chief ad- view while the full story is being suppressed.
viser on Latin America and a principle archi- Originally, concealing soiled linen-if that is
tect of U.S. intervention in the Dominican re- what it is - may have been wise. Giving
volt. Communist propagandists delicate information
We don't know precisely how great the Com- to distort is dubious at a time of crisis.
munist involvement was in Santo Domingo in But we wonder, now, if suppression is still
April. Apparently it was fairly substantial. wise. Part of the testimony apparently has
But was it substantial enough to warrant U.S: leaked out. We cannot tell if it is. fair and un-
intervention? Here.'s where the question gets biased unless we see the whole report.
sticky. . ' It's possible that disclosure wouldn't settle
This is also where the war of "managed the issue. But all the facts would be on the
news" (or propaganda) gets hottest. Argu-'. 'table and the ensuing debate would at least be
ment involves testimony taken after the Domin- . an honest one In the best traditions of renre-
Approved For Release 2000/05/05 CIA-RDP75-00149R000100250007-0