Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-01

bllC ucAuAokyllCIC lOI Gil 4IllllC0
are heard here like murmurs
from another world.
Whatever shock waves Mr..
Bosch's political demise here
may have sent out against the
fragile democratic institutions
around the Caribbean, his dis
appearance has left virtually
no mark on the political scene
here.
In the eyes Of most compe-
tent observers, this local in
ertia Is a real source Of agoniz-
ing dilemma for the United
States. On the one hand,
Washington cannot recognize
the new order here without in
viting similar blows to ccnsti-
tutional governments in Gen.
trail America and Venezuela.
But on the other hand, the
United States has no popular
handle here for Immediately
reversing an accomplished fact
without the outright use Of
brute force, which would i'm
mediately provoke nationals"
reaction against Yankee inter-
vention.
Center Position Gone
1t is perfectly obvious that
the removal of Mr.. Bosch has
meant the evaporation Of that
center position in Dominican
politics that the Kennedy ad-
ministration tried to fortify.
At the moment, the United
States is a handy target from
two Numerically opposite
angles. The extreme left al
ready is following the lead of
Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro
in charging that the "unco-
operative" Mr.. Bosch was re-
moved by an unholy alliance of
the reactionary right here and
the United States Pentagon.
Increasing rumors indicate
that the Castroist June 14th"
group has adopted this line in
planning popular demonstra-
tons against the new regime
But at the same time. the
extreme right, which did indeed
spark the coup d'etat by the
military, charges the United
States with having provoked It
by supporting creeping COM
munism" under a chaotic
Bosch government.
Most objective critics say
that the time when the United
States could have prevented
this primitive right from over
throwing Mr.. Bosch passed
during the summer and the
first three weeks of September
1t is true that the military plot
under Air Force Gen. Elias
Wessin y Wessin gained steady
ground from mid-July and
that, at several points. United
States Ambassador John Bart
low Martin himself frustrated
a military takeover through
conferences with the military
high command.
Not Backed Up
But it is argued that this
active policy of encouragement
here was not backed UP by
concerted publicity of the mill
tary threat in Washington,
Critics say the State Depart
ment and the White House
failed to bring the full force
of United States public and
congressional opposition to bear
on the Dominican military be-
fore the coup d'etat, when 1t
would have done the most good
For instance, throughout the
spring and summer months this
wear. it was constantly debated
between here and Washington
whether to bring the United
States aircraft carrier Boxer
here on a goodwill" visit.
The patent aim would have
been to demonstrate United
States support for the new
Bosch government through
ceremonial lunches and mill
tary exercises aboard the car
rier. But informants say that,
because Of "one crisis or an
other" Washington and Santo
Domingo never got around to
agreeing when the Boxer should
pay its visit.
The problem facing the
United States today is not its
past mistakes but the future
possibilities for diplomacy. And
here the prospects are not so
gloomy as the first black days
following last weeks coup
d'etat seemed to suggest.
Military Uses Restraint
First of all, contrary to all
early predictions. the military
has not seized the relns OF
power. No one can say whether
this restraint will last. A deli
cate balance of power seems to
exist among Armed Forces
Minister Elby Vinas Roman,
Gen. Wessin y Wessin, Gen
Antonio Imbert Barrera, and
national Police Chief Col. Bell
sario Peguero. This could be
shattered at any time.
The situation is even more
unstable because the new civil
ian triumvirate was chosen in
conjunction with the leader
ship of six discredited opposi-
ton parties, which must still
prove their ability to work to-
gether for the good of the
country.
But the fact remains that the
military forces have returned
to their barracks in favor OF
the civilian government.
I'VE are not puppets, We are
not going to allow ourselves tt
be puppets, and we shall resign
if the military tries to make Us
puppets" said new Foreign
Minister Donald Reid Cabral
in on iYotnrvieU here He Is a