PROGRAM FOR LATIN AMERICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000500150009-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 31, 2003
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: March 27, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

STAT
Approved For Release 2004/01/16: CIA-RDP75-Q
NEW YORK TIMES MAR 2 7 1964.
Program for Latin America.
TO TIIE EDITOR:
On March 1D you carried an alarm-
ing story from Washington to the
effect that Thomas C. Mann, Assist-
ant Secretary of State for Latin-
American Affairs, had toll: State
Department conference that the Ac-!!
ministration would not worry about! dictators so long as they Were ;,n
our side; that is, non-Communist.'
j This would be a reverc,al of Preai-
dent Kennedy's announced ~liey.
Since our opposition to Commu- }
nismn is chiefly to its denial ,.:::emoc-:'
racy and individual right, '. 'e would
cut the ground from undo::, :,ur own
(,feet by this acceptance of 1ictator-
~ ship so long as it night be non-1
Coi.ur:unist. A.'(, %v(; should invite]
ultimate and disastrous defeat 1n?
Latin America.
On March 20 you published al
weasel-worded' attempt by the State
Department to disclaim or modify
this new policy. But your corre-)
spondent, Tad Szulc, concludes "that
Mr. Mann had started a gradual
change of emphasis leading to a'
basic modification of the entire l
United States philosophy of dicta-i
torships."
It is hard to believe that that is
the intention of a President so honor-
ably firm on civil rights at home as
Mr. Johnson. But the report reminded
me uncomfortably of the insistence'(
of some of my.-Dalo35,Aiaan friends l
that, although our Ambassador was f
all right, some of our military and
CJ,A.. had encouraged the coup which
overthrew the democratically elcotcd''
^JJ Government of Juan Bosch.
In any event, not only the Stater
Department but the President should
hear strong protests against ;ho pro-
gram 'attributed .to. his ciao agent
in Latin-American affairs, Thomas
C. Mann.. NORMAN .THOMAS.,
Now Yorlc, March 23, 1964
.'. N'.yv!r..?!'..'v...~r yV+il"_'..w.r: 196.+w.A~Mtr" JJJ
Approved For Release 2004/01/16: CIA-RDP75-00149R000500150009-5