LETTER TO LT. GEN. VERNON L. WALTERS FROM JOHN R. REITEMEYER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R002300020018-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2003
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: November 13, 1974
• Content Type: LETTER

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At Xa fr b gufni
Lt. Gen. Vernon L. Walters
Deputy Director
CIA
Washington, D. C. 20505
November 13, 1974
It is 30 odd years since you and I shepherded General Dutra
around New York in what for me at least was an extremely
trying assignment. Police outriders with the Brazilian flag,
a special Minister of War license plate for the car in which
he was to ride, insistent that he take precedence over General
Grunert and have the right hand seat in the car which carried
him from Governor's Island down to the Officers Club. I
suppose it might have been even more complicated if I had
arranged to get women for the visiting staff. I suppose you
know that Dutra died either last year or the year before.
I am writing to you at this time because the President has
been requested to turn over to the Inter American Press
Association, the names of newspapers and others who are
alleged to have received subsidies of some kind from the
CIA. I am a former President of the Inter American Press
Association and prior to becoming a President, I was for
seven years Chairman of the Executive Committee. This
job, I suppose, has taken me almost to every country in
Latin America. On the other hand, I am a former chicken
colonel of the Military Intelligence Division. In this instance,
I feel my Intelligence experience takes precedence over my
affiliation with the Inter American Press Association.
I think it is ridiculous to publish a list of newspapers or
agencies in Chili, or elsewhere for that matter, who received
aid of any kind from the CIA. As a matter of fact, I think
the writings of former CIA agents and others goes far beyond
what I consider to be permissible bounds. In my opinion,
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_ " Lt. Gen. Vernon L. Walters - 2
details of intelligence operations whether covert or otherwise
should not be shouted out to the world.
I am enclosing an article which appeared in the London Daily
Telegraph on Friday, November 1. In my opinion, the
Daily Telegraph is today the best newspaper in Britain.
This article reflects my own views. Perhaps it would do
no harm to show it to the President or to anyone else who
mi ght be eager to disclose information which, in my opinion,
should not be disclosed.
I was in Santiago, Chili, about six months before the revo-
lution. Among other things, one night I had dinner with a
man who is the leader of the extreme right party, which,
at that time, had made a marriage of convenience with the
Christian Democrats. It was apparent to me that things had
come to such a pass in Chili that there would have been a
revolution and an attempt to depose Allende even if the
CIA had been in no way involved.
I don't know whether you know that General Adams who
was with the Brazilian party, at that time our Military
Attache in Brazil, wanted me to go to Brazil as Assistant
Attache. He painted a very glowing picture of this job
but the last thing I wanted was to go to Brazil as an Assis-
tant Attache. I told General Adams that I did not think
General Grunert would release me. He informed me that
he had been General Marshall's Aide and that he could spring
me loose regardless of General Grunert's feelings. However,
shortly after he returned to Brazil, Adams became seriously
ill and was compelled to retire from the Army. That ended
that episode.
I was interested to see a two column cut of you in the
Courant the other day in connection with your testimony
at the Watergate trial. This whole Watergate affair is
one of the craziest operations I have ever known. I cannot
understand how anyone with any intelligence experience
could have handled this break-in in such a clumsy fashion.
With best wishes, I remain
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Since rely,
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The Daily Telegraph, Friday, November 1, 1974 15
ROBERT MOSS on the implications
of America's `passioiii for disclosure"
l:J E fuss a{ gout C I A involve- Chile, much less stony. It was not in
in Chile has died down the power of the Americans,
.or the momerrt in Washing- the CIA and however, to bring together the,
ft,
ton, but the chances are that, brodd range of political forces
that united to topple the regime-4
when Dr Kissinger returns
A cynic
from his present journeyings, might even say that the"
conclusive proof that the coup
he will find the issue still was not essentially the work of ~f
here to haunt him. Gen. the C 0 - 1 -1, ml M I u n i the CIA was that it worked
Andropov, chief of the K G B, so smoothly.
must be convulsed with strument. The D G 1 has now it would discourage people in Perhaps it is not good
laughter at the sight of so been completely colonised by the other situations who might enough for Americans, orb"
many American Senators and KGB and operates under the contemplate turning _ to the America's allies, to conclude
newspaper editors protesting close surveillance of a KGB Americans rather than Rus- that what "our " side does isI
at their country has no general in Havana. A D G I sians, for outside support. justified because the "other "
t,it to pursue any sort of officer, Luis Fernandez de Oaia, side is doing the same. or worse.-
+ivert foreign policy. occupied an :office next to The limits of the CIA in- But when it is seriously pro-.
President Ford said the ob- Allende's, reading his correspon- volvement in Chile have been posed, as in two recent books'
ions when, in his attempt to dence and screening his visitors, muddled beyond recognition. on the CIA, that covert opera-
Justify the fact that the C I A There was, it is true, a personal During the first months of tions should never be licensed,..?
Spent $8 million to support op factor involved: lie became Allende's government, before it it has to be pointed out that:
position parties and media under Allende's son-in-law by marrying became apparent that the Marx- this would leave a tremendous
('resident Allende, he pointed his daughter, "Tati," but it was fists in it were bent on a total vacuum in many areas thej
ut that the Russians were more than a fancily affair, seizure of power, the Americans Communists would not be slow
fending considerably more on The continuing inquest into experimented with a policy of to exploit. The things that were
uch operations and tend to con- the Chile affair is part of the conciliation. This was largely done in Chile would have pro--
duct them far more ruthlessly. malign legacy of Watergate the work of Ambassador Korry, yoked little comment if they
It is only necessary to glance and the Vietnam war. Both who, for example, tried to had been done to oppose Hitler,,
back over the past few years to undermined the confidence of negotiate with Allende over the or, for that matter, the Soviet-
see that the Russians have made many Americans in the integ- nationalisation of major Amer!- regime (although, in the latter
a tremendous investment in in- rity of the Administration and can interests, such as the big case, there might have been
telligence activities in the effort have created an enormous copper companies. He actually complaints about the threat to,
to depose non - Communist bandwagon in favour of public offered Allende a deal that detente). Yet it often seems"`
regimes. Even in Latin America, supervision of every aspect of would have enabled the Chilean that it is only when the Comte
which has always ranked low policy - making. They also Government to pay cornpeasa- munists have won that people
i on their order of priorities, created a. passion for disclosure tion with official bonds under- realise that they had been one
the Russians have been doing that now makes it impossible written by the American the way to winning.
II some very curious things. for anyone to assume that con- Treasury. The deal, however, Russia remains r 1 expansions
In March, 1971, the Mexicans fidential information will be was rejected by Allende after power-and its chances for fur
expelled five KGB officers, who kept confidential. it was vetoed by the leader of Cher expanion, given the effect `?~
had been masquerading as Soviet One of the most dangerous the extremist wing of the Social- of the oil crisis, the rising
t cpp d hecauand organise as aspects of the Chile affair is fist party, Carlos Altamirano. st ength of the Marxist Left ink
guerrilla groarp cabled the Re the way that the names of It was not the CIA funds southern Europe and. the pros-
volutionary Action Movement. A political parties, newspapers that ;finally brought about the pest of a new phase of American
few months later, Ecuador ex- and radio stations and trade coup d'ebat in September last isolationism, are probably greater
pulled another three Russian union organisations that are year. At best, they served to now than at any time since theme
officials for their role in funding alleged to have received C I A keep in being a number of news- immediate post-1945 period. The.-"'
the Marxist-dominated Confed- funds have been bandied about. papers that would otherwise Americans and their allies are.,u
eration of Ecuadorian Workers If public hearings go further, have collapsed as a result of increasingly on the defensive.
which had used the money to or- the next step, no doubt, would spiralling costs, declining adver- The Americans exerted them-,'
ganise a .general strike origin- be the naming of Chileans tising and frozen prices. Without selves, to a fairly minimal extent;
ally planned to co-ordinate with alleged to have had soave rela- that critical voice, and without in what was seen as an attempt
a Left wing coup. tioriship with the American the major strikes, also partly to prevent Chile becoming a part
In Chile, Russia's hand y Cover ii eat his w na d a LiL a sionist bloc. There
3 "in present condi-
obvious again, although, as-Iff rP1 e our efA?et"a /1 r=A0bW% NOW 10
many similar cases, the Cuban lists of the terrorist organisa- spread hostility to the regime, tions, why that should be regar-
Intelligence organisation, the tionns that have espoused the th G. Marxists in Chile would ded as a monstrous-or immoral
:,? G f, served as Moscw's in- cause of " Allende the Martyr "; have found their road to power -thing to do.