THOUGHTS ON LATIN ASSISTANT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000300180081-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 25, 1998
• Sequence Number: 81
• Publication Date: May 29, 1961
• Content Type: NSPR

DA.ia-ySgnltized - Approved For Release CIA-RDP75-00-'I49R,0003010180081-4
41
CPYRGHT
4
CPYRGHT
houghts
on Latin
Assistant
By VIRGINIA PREWETT
Two front-runners for e Post Uf Az55t5b31%b See-re
tary of State for Inter-American Affairs are Dr. Clark
Kerr, president of the University of California at
Berkeley, and Mr. Richard Goodwin, a White House
assistant and presidential ghost-writer credited with
authoring Kennedy's "Alliance for Progress" speech.
This writer does not know either candidate, but each
has special recommendations for the job.
Dr. Kerr has been active
for several years with
CHEAR, the Committee on
Highter Education in t h e
American Republics. He has
combined a career in educa-
tion with service as mediator
in major labor disputes. If
State's Assistant Secretary
for Latin America is to be
brought in from the outside,
his background would be of
greatest service.
ADVANTAGE
At the risk of unorthodoxy,
since experienced Latin Amer-
icanists usually decry the
novice, this writer would like
to point out advantages to be
gained if Mr. Goodwin were
appointed to the vacant post.
He is young-about 29-
and a relative newcomer to
the L a tin American field.
However. he has been increas-
ingly designated as the White
House link to inter-American
policy implementation.
If Richard Goodwin, with
his White House connection,
,were made Assistant Secre-
tary of State for Latin Ameri-
ca, it could solve a number of
dilemmas which are causing
complaints under the present
set-up.
As symbol of the White
House, Mr. Goodwin would
swing enough weight to clari-
fy otherwise divided minds
in State's Division of Ameri-
can Republic Affairs. Old-
World - oriented Undersecre-i
tary of State Chester A.'
Bowles, control of personnel
would then cease to compli-
cate the implementation of
Mr. Kennedy's Latin Ameri-
can policy.
TIES
The usefulness of Latin
American Task Force Chief
Adolf A. Berle would be en-
hanced. Dr. Berle has direct
connections with the White
House Latin American squad.
Mr. Goodwin's presence in
Stale would strengthen ties
between Berle-advised policy
and the machinery of action,
and thus implement Ken-
nedy's intentions.
State's real frustration isi
that the Treasury group,
cronies of President Eisen-
hower. Survivors of the
Treasury clique and their al-,
lies, as well as the Pentagon 11
and other Government enti- ;
ties who've been making their
b w n little Latin American
sub-policies, might howl at
the Berle-Goodwin combina- ,
tion. But it would at least 4
bring control of policy for a
the New World back to the
President and the State
Department.
It would also emphasize
how ridiculous it is for State's
top Latin American post to
be too low In the echelon to 0
attract a thoroly mature Lat-
in Americanist -- and lead
eventually to the needed up;
'grading of that post.
Sani zed - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000300 80081-4
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