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Statement by the President on the Contributions Made by the Organization of American States to the Dominican Agreement.

September 01, 1965

Your Excellencies:

I have been meeting this morning with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Dr. Jose Mora, to express my very deep appreciation and the gratitude of the people of the United States for the very important contributions that were made by the OAS--the Organization of American States--to the agreement reached last night on a new government in the Dominican Republic.

I want to take this special opportunity now to thank Dr. Mora for his own very excellent and fine work as well as the performance of his fine Organization. Special thanks must go to Ambassador Penna Marinho, Ambassador Clairmont Duenas, and our own Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker.

There are still very grave problems facing the Dominican people. But the way has finally been opened for an end to strife and for the choice of leaders through the process which all free men cherish. I am certain that the hopes of men who really love peace and the democratic process have taken new strength from these developments and these events.

In a very short time there will be a provisional government in the Dominican Republic. This government will need the energetic support of the whole Western Hemisphere as it sets about the work of restoring peace and trying to rebuild the entire Dominican economy. The United States and the Organization of American States will work together in these new tasks--shoulder to shoulder--as we have worked together in these recent months. We all have the same objective. We all seek the same goals--peace and prosperity for the hemisphere.

Thank you very much.

[After reading the foregoing statement the President made the following remarks.]

I have the very great honor of having the distinguished Ambassador from Argentina, Dr. Mora, the Ambassador from Bolivia, and the Ambassador from Colombia. They happened to be having lunch over in the White House--off the Fish Room; they serve much better food there than in the mansion--with some of my associates. I asked them to join me here.

Ambassador Mora, would you like to say something?

AMBASSADOR MORA. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I am very happy on this occasion to express my recognition to all the government members of the Organization of American States for their participation in this great effort for the establishment of peace and democratic procedures in the Dominican Republic.

This is a demonstration of the capacity of the Organization of American States to obtain a solution to such a delicate situation. And I want also to express my deep appreciation to President Johnson for his personal interest in the cause of peace in the Dominican Republic.

Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 1:33 p.m. in the White House Theater. In his statement he referred to Jose A. Mora, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Ilmar Penna Marinho, Brazilian Representative to the OAS, Ramon de Clairmont Duenas, Representative from El Salvador to the OAS and Ambassador to the United States, Ellsworth Bunker, United States Representative to the OAS, Norbert M. Barrenechea, Argentinian Ambassador to the United States, Julio Sanjines-Goytia, Bolivian Ambassador to the United States, and Eduardo Uribe, Colombian Ambassador to the United States.
See also Items 472, 482, 484.

Lyndon B. Johnson, Statement by the President on the Contributions Made by the Organization of American States to the Dominican Agreement. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240727

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