Agency: WC
Originator: WC
From: SLAWSON, W. DAVID
To: RECORD
Document date: 04/22/1964
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

Date: 08/12/93

Page: 1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : WC

RECORD NUMBER

: 179-40001-10168

RECORDS SERIES :

25: INTERNAL FILES

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

Released under the John

Assassination Records

Collection Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Note!.

Case#:NW 55355 Date:

11-24-2017

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : WC

FROM : SLAWSON, W. DAVID

TO : RECORD

TITLE :

DATE:

04/22/64

PAGES :

68

SUBJECTS :

WARREN COMMISSION,

TRIP TO MEXICO

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION

RESTRICTIONS

REFERRED

CURRENT STATUS

: P

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

:

//

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

P. 1-68; BOX C02

[R] - ITEM

IS

RESTRICTED

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initi in..

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD

April 22, 1964

FROM:

W. David Slawson

"SUBJECT:

Trip to Mexico City

On Wednesday, April 8, 1964 Mr. Howard P. Willens,

Mr. William T. Coleman, Jr., and Mr. W. David Slawson, all on

the staff of the Commission, flew from Washington, D. C. to

Mexico City. Mr. Coleman returned on Sunday, April 12 and

Mr. Slawson and Mr. Willens returned on an airplane leaving

Mexico City at about 3:20, Monday afternoon, April 13. This

memorandum will briefly summarize this trip plus some of the

meetings held in preparation for it.

TUESDAY - APRIL 7

10:20 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Willens, Coleman and Slawson met with Assistant

Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs Thomas Mann,

Mr. Thomas Ehrlich of the Office of the Legal Adviser for the

State Department, and two aides to it. Mann in Mr. Mann's

office at about 10:20.a.m. Assistant Secretary Mann was

Ambassador to Mexico at the time of the assassination and

personally directed the investigatory effort and our relations.

with the Mexican law enforcement authorities Immediately after

the newsof the President's death reached Mexico City. A copy

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kind of ruthless action, either through some hope of gaining

from it or simply as revenge. The Ambassador added that not

"even the allegations of Alvarado or other rumors which may have

been current in Mexico City to

the effect that money had been

given to Oswald were really the cause of his suspicions, since

the Alvarado allegations were not made until a day or so later,

but that the fact that Oswald had visited the Cuban and Russian

Embassies in Mexico City shortly before the assassination, which

he had learned from his security officers at the Embassy, plus.

what he believed about Castro's character, seemed sufficient to

him to raise the gravest suspicions. Later, he pointed aut

when he had-a chance to listen, to the Dorticas-Armas

Als susptctons were strerigthened.

Ambassador Mann knew of no contacts by Oswald with

anyone in Mexico City other than his visits to the Cuban and

Soviet Embassies and his staying at the Hotel del Comercio.

Ambassador Mann said that on? Intelligone took

photographs of both the Cuban and Soviet Embassies

henever anyone left or entered their main entrances, at /least

uring the normal visiting hours on Monday through friday,

uring the daytime when pictures could be taken without

ght.

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•67 SET 13 94 100

view of the facts known to him and his assistants at the time

and in view of the extreme seriousness of the occurrence.

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

At 3:30 in the afternoon Mr.

of the CIA

came to the Commission offices and conferred there with

Slawson, Willens and Coleman. This conference grew out of a

suggestion made by Mr. Richard Helms of the CIA about two

weeks previous, in which he had menüioned that it would be a

good idea If a representative. of his agency met with those

persons from the Commission who planned to go to Mexico just

before they left, in order to insure that the CIA could

properly advise us of any last-minute arrangements and properly

alert Its people in Mexico of our arrival.

We discussed whether we would journey to Mexico

officially and openly or completely incognito, and

offered to make arrangements to get us into Mexico completely

unnoticed if we desired to do so. We told him that we did not

want to try to keep the trip entirely secret. We would do our

best to avoid any kind of newspaper publicity or public

announcements. We intended to introduce ourselves at the

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01 13 SEP qUIR

Embassy and to Mexican officials as what we in fact were;

representatives of the Commission.

said that In dealing with Mr

* Winston Scout,

the cIA thief for Mexico, we yould be working with one of the

top foreign operatives in their entire organization. He said

that the CIA would give us complete cooperation.

We outlined to

our entire proposed plan

once we arrived in Mexico, in general terms, and

l asked for his

comments on how best to achieve our goals.. His reply in every

instance was that we should deal on the spot with

thought that our proposed journey was a very good idea.

He repeated what Mr. Helms of the CIA had said a while ago,

that there is no substitute for the "case officer" being "on

the spot."

WEDNESDAY - APRIL 8

8:15 a.m. to 7:00 P.M.

Our plane was scheduled to leave Washington from

Dulles Airport at 9:30 in the morning and accordingly all three

of us met at the Washington Air Terminal In the Albert Pick

Motel at about 8:15 and later arrived at the Airport at about.

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his expert opinion was

that no foreign conspiracy arising out

of or connected with the territory of Mexico existed In con-

nection with the assassination. He said that he felt that if

such had existed, although perhaps they would not have solved

It by this time, they at least would have some firm indication

that. It was in existence, which indications were in fact

lacking. We asked Anderson how many different allegations of

conspiracy had been received by his office and he replied, six.

These

were:

the Gutierrez allegation, the Alvarado allegation,

the Diaz. Verson allegation, the Martino-Roja allegation, the

letter from Victor Cohen, and the allegation concerning the

Stanford University student. Mc. Slawson commented that in his

opinion only the first three allegations mentioned even seemed

serious and that, after analysis, the only one that still seemed

serious was Gutierrez'. Anderson readily agreed...

3:20 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

After lunch the three of us went to.M

Seat

and were there introduced to his deputy

office,

The

conference was begun by Ma,co

= giving us a complete

narrative of the CIA's activities in connection with Lee Harvey

oswald, beginning in September 1963 when they first picked up

information that Oswald had appeared at the Russian and Cuban

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Embassies.

* stated at the beginning of his narrative

that he intended to make a complete disclosure of all facts,

• Including the sources of his information, and that he under-

stood that all three of us had been cleared for Top Secret.

and that we would not disclose beyond the confines of the

Commission and its immediate staff the information we obtained

through him without first clearing it with his superiors in

washington. We agreed to this.

tho

Mr. scott

narrative of course took a rather long

time to complete, and we interrupted in at many points with

specific questions. During the course of the narrative we were

shown the actual transcripto; plus-therenslattonsofathe

telephone

Involvea, and we were aiso shown the reels

of phatographs for all the days' question that had been taken

secretly

Hat the Cuban and saviot ambassy entrantes:

Ma scat

narrative disclosed that the CIA's action immedi-

ately after the assassination consisted basically of alerting

all its confidential sources of information throughout Mexico

to immediately channel all Information into their headquarters,

and of compiling as

complete dossiers as possible on Oswald and

everyone else throughout Mexico who at that time the CIA knew:

had had some contact with Oswald. This meant especially

silvia duran, who because she had previously been having an

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20968 SEP1394

embassies might be available.

Scott said they were not.

explalned that photographic coverage was limited by and

- large to the daylight weekday hours,

because of lack of funds

ard because no adequate technical means for taking photographs

at night from a long/distance without

artifacial light,

which

was of course

out

the question under the circumstances

had

been developed.

We brought up the question of Gutierrez and received

from

basically the same information we had

previously learned

from the FBI, though somewhat attenuated

because, as foots

-pointed out, the FBI was carrying

the primary responsibility with Gutlerrez..

He suggested the

Gutierrez!

rez' stony night be confirmed or reruted by photographe

aken by the CIA, that in particular the automobile he claimed

o have seen might show up on the fringes of some of thes

photographs; and we inquired whether an appropriate examina

thon of the picture reels had been made.

replied that

sach an examination had notryet been made and that he

suspected that it would disclose nothing new,

necause the

photographs covered little more than the entrance Itself.

However, he promised to make such an examination. (About a

day later Scott, reported to us that such an examinationbi

been made and proved negative

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In answer to our question,

ma scottygave

their professional opinions that there probably was not a

"foreign conspiracy connected with Mexico Involving the

assassination of the President. They, like Anderson, felt

that had there been such a conspiracy they would at least by

this time have had some firm indications of its existence.

thes

We asked T

"Goott to sat up a meeting with Secretary

145241 4464

Echevarria, for all three of us at the earliest possible time.

We wanted both

Trapur. Anderson there, if possible, both as an

Interpreter! and because

tear previous personal acquaintance

with the Secretary would facilitate our dealings. Soots tele-

phoned Anderson and confirmed this request.

We then reentered our discussion of the assassination

In general, as it related to Mexico. It appeared that the CIA

In Washington had not forwarded certain material developed

elsewhere to flat, even though these materials might have

reasonably related to the Mexican Investigations. For example,

the contents of the letter which Oswald wrote to the Russian

Embassy after he returned to the United States, describing,

certain aspects of his trip, had never been disclosed to stutt

or his staff. We showed them the contents of this letter at

this meeting.

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time, but that 1t not be permitted

I to hold up the Information

at this stage.

Ing WITTEns

neer

Slawson and Coleman discussed the cable traffic from the soviet

and duban Embassies both during the time of Oswald's fists

there in September-October 1963 and immediately

Iter the

assassination. Scott and i

said that no increases of

unusual variations had been noted at either time. We then dis-

cussed briefly the possibilities that the National Security

Ageney might be able to "breale

the codes for the times

when

Oswald was In Mexico CIty, using a

a key the fact that

Oswald's attempt to gotain a visa was

probably communicated to

Washington on Friday or Saturday, September 27 or 28.

Scott

pointed out that all his office did with coded materialf was

to send them back to the National Security Agency In Washington

In ther form in which it obtained them.

They felt that the code-

breaking might be possible, however, and should be trted,

FRIDAY - APRIL 10

9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

Coleman, Willens and Slawson appeared at the FBI

offices at 9:00 a.m., as we had agreed to do the previous

evening, and there met Rolfe Larson. The plan had been that we

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accurately identifying documentary material, by number or

other code, and advised him to see that the number of hands

through which a document was passed was kept to a minimum and

that each document was. kept in the custody of a reliable

person at all times. Larson gave the impression of readily

understanding all this and he of course agreed to our sugges-

tions.

3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.M.

By pre-arrangement we met at 3:30'

With him again was his assistante

The occasion for

this meeting was tofsive us the opportunity, to go through and

the

carefully and to use them as a basis for

reconstructing Oswald's activities Insofar as they touched

upon the Cuban and Soviet Embassies. This we ald, and we then

showed

and seott the result of our work, for their

comment.

Iner agreed in eveny respect with our conclusions.

I will not go into great detail here because these conclusions

will of course be Incorporated In our narrative report on

Oswald's activities in Mexico, but in outline the conclusions

were as follows:"

on Friday,

éptember 27:

Time

10:00 a.m.

Fleohra Roja bus

aprives In

Mexico CIty

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11me

10:31

a.m.

Sometime

SometIme

still

ater

Oswald telephoned the Russian

Embassy, to get "visas to

Odessa.

Oswald Visits Cubấn Consulate.

later

Oswald visits

Rassian

Consulate.

Some time later

Oswald visit

the Cuban:

still, which

Consulate and during this visit

¿includes the period Silvia Duran calls the Russian

4:05 to 4:26 in the Consulate and soon thereaiter

afternoon

the Russian Consulate telephones

her bac

Saturday,

September 28:

Time

Morning

Oswald visits the Russian

Consulate

Some time includ-

jing 11:51 a.m.

Oswald wisits the Cuban

Consulate and during this visit

Silvia Duran phoned the Russian

Consulate.

Oswald probably again visited

the Russian Consulate

Some time later

Tuesday, Octobet

Time

10: 31

ai.

11730 a.m

We then discussed the

examined them in some detail.

45

IRE SECRET

Oswald telephones the Russian

Embassy and is told to call

the Russian Consulate Instead.

oswald calls the

Soviet

Consulate.

hung up on.

Dorticos-Amas

We asked Mr. Scott for

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received in Mexico and in Washington from the CIA. All of us

realized that any decisions arrived at this afternoon could

be tentative only, since the final decision would have to be

made at the higher echelons of both the CIA and the Commission.

slawson.put.out

the suggestion that the Commission might

publish a narrative containing all the detail obtainable from

Silvia Duran's statements and from the "open" investigations

carried on by FBI agents and Mexican police agents throughout

Mexico; supplemented to some extent py the Information obtained

through the CIA's

anct the dIA's

informant

This" supplement, however, would not be In detail;

rather, for example, it would use phrases ilke "in the arter

noon" In place of 4:05 p.m." AIso, no absolute quotes wauld

be used only the substance of conversatIons would be given.

The sources for this narrative would be stated to be silvia

Duran's interrogation, the "open" investigations and "other

confidential sources considered reliable by the Commission and

the federal intelligence agencies

Involved." Mr. Scott's reply

to this suggestion was that he thought it would be acceptable

to the CIA.

He said that although it involved a certain amount

of

compromise of his security.

arrangements, the compromise was

acceptable when balanced against the importance of the occasion.

We asked whether he faltett w6

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intelligence the existence of this particula

the CIA. His reply was that they probably assumed its

-existence anyway

(It should be noted that the proposal put

forward would disclose nothing as to the existence of

ấny

photographic observations.

Nor, I believe, would it

disclose

apything that would permit enemy intelligence to discover who

the:

gIA's informants are in Mexico or where they age located

We then briefly discussed the statement of Silvia

Duran which we had read earlier in the day in the FBI offices..

The CIA had not yet seen this statement.

5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The three of us then returned to Clarke Anderson's

office. Anderson gave us a report on his meeting with Ibanez.

He told us

that Ibanez and he had discussed our making arrange-

ments to see Silvia Duran. The outcome of the discussion was

that Ibanez himself was very agreeable but said that he would

nave to clear 1t with his superior, Echevarria.

6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

We returned to room 510 and on the way there were

handed a copy of the formal request to the Mexican Government

for its complete report on the assassination. A copy 1s

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14 SIP

94169).

trying to follow up. For the last month or two, however,

Betty Mora had been extremely sick and so this whole line of

- Investigation was temporarily stymied. For several years

Betty Mora has not been in good health, and in Anderson's

opinion she 1s not a reliable person anyway, so he did not feel

that her assertions would ever amount to much." He promised us

a report on them, however, notwithstanding his feeling that

they were not to be accorded a great deal of weight.

Finally, we posed the question to, Anderson whether

he knew of anything further, Important or unimportant, which

we as representatives of the President's Commission ought to

be told. After some thinking and after asking Larson whether

he had anything along these lines and receiving a negative

response, Anderson replied that he believed he had given us

everything he knew.

for abrief discrime:

We then briefly dropped into the CIA's office again.

and sal stat and

We were told by

that the

examination of the reels of photographs pertaining to the time

periods covering Gutierrez' visits jo the Cuban Imbassy had

been examined ape that the results were negativer No

auto-.

mobiles appeared in the photographs and no persons were shown

who answered the deseriptions giver by Gutierred or wiro might

have been Gutierfez himself. (I will note here that weredd

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not asy the

CIA to have these photographs

to Gutiernez.

This would of course have been the

easiest way

• of determining whethe

• the person he fdentified as the Cuban

passed the money to Oswald was shown in one of the photo-

graphs, qut this would also have involved such a serious breach

o cIA apourst arrangement that we did not lestlove that 1t

was Justhfied.)

We then asked seott and

the same question we

had asked Anderson about there being any further informatior

we should be given. His ene

was to

the same effect as Anderson's.

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taxicab from his hotel to the neighborhood of the

Cuban and Russian Embassies and return, but that he

almost certainly. walked back and forth between the

two embassies once he was in that neighborhood);

8. Various telephone calls (In this connection I told

Larson that it would be sufficient for our purposes

if the FBI were to furnish us with the cost of a

single local call, since we were probably in a better

position to figure out how many telephone calls Oswald

made than was the FBI); and

9. Purchase of six picture postcards.

Slawson then want to l

Is tinetor Scott's office where

he met Mr. Scoot's secretary, Mottie," as arrenged by Mr. Scott

the previous saturday. Dottie carried the

telephone

into the nearby conforence room, handed them over to Mi. Slawsor

end remained in the room throurkout the entire time Mr. Slawson

forked on thi

i. Mr. Slawson spent until about 11:30 taking note.

from the

after which he returned them to Dottie. These

notes are 17 tie attached memorandum dated April 21, 1964.

A ra slava home one,

son ans

dana bonnet Me. Willens?

The two of us held a very brief discussion

with Mr. Clarke Anderson in his office. Mr. Willens told Anderson

that he, Willens, and Slawson and. Coleman as well had been very

favorably impressed with the high quality of the FBI officers we had

met in Mexico City and with the manner in which they were carrying

out their work in connection with the assassination. It was apparent,

however, that except for the "Alvarado" Investigation, which so far

as we could observe had been very thoroughly handled, high-quality

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