William Pawley

Thomas H. Purvis · March 3, 2006

"Pawley's involvement in the Sugar Industry, as well as his "transportation" enterprises in the Cuban Bus Lines; Miami/Dade Transit, and airline industries has been posted"

I merely neglected to provide all of the details related to how Pawley acquired the Havana Bus System.

TIME MAGAZINE

Mar. 20, 1950

When Cuba's President Carlos Prío Socarrás decided to scrap Havana's rattletrap trolleys in favor of buses, he thought he knew just the man for the job: tall, tough Millionaire William D. Pawley, 53. Boss of Miami's bus system, Pawley had organized Cuba's first commercial airline and built most of its airfields.

Thomas H. Purvis · March 5, 2006

http://foia.fbi.gov/pawley_william_douglas...glas_part01.pdf

"the White House checked with the Department of State and Secretary Dulles stated that there was information indicating possible payoffs in Cuba to Pawley where Pawley acted as an advisor on some transportation project."

Thomas H. Purvis · March 7, 2006

Perhaps Mr. Pawley should have purchased one of his own "insurance" bonds to cover the loss of Castro having taken his "Bus" lines.

Thomas H. Purvis · March 9, 2006

Lee:

This is the one which makes an important tie.

http://time-proxy.yaga.com/time/archive/pr...,858737,00.html

Carlos Prio & William Pawley

Lee Forman · March 9, 2006

Thanks Tom.

Pawley is one very interesting individual.

Prio Socarras appears to have been surrounded by intel [some cryptos below], but no hits for both he and Pawley together at NARA.

AMPLAM-4

AMCONCERT-1

FJSTEAL

AMTHUG

AMBUD-1

Finding some interesting reading, however - thanks.

Dulles memo, with a Pawley reference:

.

I didn't realize that Bir, where Castro was born, was a village founded by United Fruit.

- lee

Thomas H. Purvis · March 9, 2006

This certainly should not be that unusual.

Castro's father fulfilled a "foreman" type position with United Fruit, and in fact personally owned considerable land as a result of his position and working with the Gringo's.

This appears to be where Castro was first exposed to the virtual slavery of many of those who did the labor for United Fruit, yet remained in poverty.

It must also be reminded, that the majority of United Fruit's land in Cuba was in the production of SUGAR, not banana's.

What would be most interesting would be the release of the information which Annie Hahr Dobbs Pawley provided to the White House in her letter, as regards Pawley's activities and business dealings.

Pawley obtained a divorce (no doubt through his Cuba connections) in Cuba, even though not a true and legal resident. He then married his secretary.

The battle over this divorce between Annie Hahr Dobbs Pawley & William Pawley, lasted for some 5 years or so.

And although irrelevant to any issue, William Pawley, Jr. was, if recalled correctly, the first person to become engaged to Elizabeth Taylor when she was quite young.

In fact, due to his father's wealth, etc; William (Jr.) gave Elizabeth Taylor a 3 1/2 carat engagement ring, which Ms. Taylor conveniently kept upon breakoff of the engagement.

The death of William Pawley, Jr. is still somewhat of a mystery.

Jr. is reported as having been a pilot, as well as having supposedly flew the "Hump" during the Air Cargo days of WWII.

Yet, there is absolutley no record (found) to verify this claim.

Jr. died in Mexico a couple of years after breakoff of the Elizabeth Taylor engagement (death in 1951 or so), and the reported cause was "Polio".

There is "something" here which does not ring entirely true. Jr. was perfectly healthy during the days of his engagement, and were he to have actually had polio, then, with the money available to him through his father, I find it quite unlikely that he would have been in Mexico, as opposed to being at MAYO and/or Ochsner's, seeking medical care.

Thomas H. Purvis · March 9, 2006

TIME

Sep. 20, 1954

Former President Carlos Prio Socarras of Cuba placed himself at the disposal of a U.S. District Court in New York last week with a plea of nolo contendere* to charges of conspiring to violate the 1939 U.S. Neutrality Act by attempting to ship arms to Cuba (TIME, Dec. 14). Federal Judge Edmund L. Palmieri fined the ex-President $9,000; in a similar procedure, his onetime Interior Minister, Segundo Curd Messina, was fined $6,000.

Said Prio: "I decided to change my defense from 'not guilty' to nolo contendere because I thought that in my position it was more dignified to do so." Defending Prio, Manhattan Lawyer Samuel I. Rosenman, one-time ghostwriter for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, contended that his client's acts had been political and his violation of U.S. neutrality a technicality.

Judge Palmieri agreed that "the defendants are not criminals in the strict sense of the term," although there was no question that U.S. law had been broken.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Pr%C3%ADo_Socarr%C3%A1s

Exile

Later in the Batista period (1952-1958) he organized a number of failed and usually betrayed attempts by democratically oriented activists to overthrow Batista, he was arrested in the US for these activities [14] and made the fatal mistake of supporting Fidel Castro a matter he would rue to the end of his days [15].

While is generally accepted by many that he used a considerable part of the money Prio took from the Cuban treasury (said by some to be $300,000,000 in 1952 [16]) to support the efforts of Fidel Castro against the Batista regime. Prio returned to Cuba on January 1st 1959, and thus seems to have been in Havana before Castro. However, Prio broke with Castro after the latter began to consolidate power in 1959. Prio left Cuba at the end of the Eisenhower Administration [17].

I would therefore suppose that one could determine exactly "whom" the gun-running activities of 1954 were supporting, as well as whom they these activities were directed against.

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From the HSCA testimony of Robert Ray McKeown, it would appear that this did not end the gun-running activities of Carlos Prio, merely that he found others to do his work.

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Robert Ray McKeown & Carlos Prio

Mr. McKeown. Well, I was working, I was associated with Carlos Prio. I was getting guns into Castro.

Mr. Purdy. So there was publicity about that?

Mr. McKeown. So I got caught, you understand, and then the publicity came out.

Mr. Purdy. When you were arrested for running guns, that was in 1958, is that correct?

Mr. McKeown. I think So, '58 or '59. I was not arrested, I gave myself up.

Mr. Purdy. You gave yourself up, the records indicate, on February 25th, 1958, is that correct?

Mr. McKeown. Somewhere around there, yes, sir.

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Mr. Purdy. Do you know, or have you heard of, Messers. Sam or Joseph Campesi?

Mr. McKeown. I have heard of them.

Mr. Purdy. You never met them?

Mr. McKeown. No.

Mr. Purdy. How did you hear of Sam or Joseph Campesi?

Mr. McKeown. Through Prio.

Mr. Purdy. What did you say about that?

Mr. McKeown. He said they were good people, they were on our Side.

Mr. Purdy. Did he say that he was working with him?

Mr. McKeown. Well, I presumed that he was working with him I do not know. I was more or less a lone wolf. I did not implicate myself with all them people because I did what he told me to do and he furnished the money.

Mr. Purdy. Are you talking about Mr. Prio?

Mr. McKeown. Prio.

Mr. Purdy. Do you know whether or not they were also working for or with Mr. Prio?

Mr. McKeown. I presume, but I do not know for sure.

Mr. Purdy. Do you know any other Americans who were working for Mr. Prio?

Mr. McKeown. Yes.

Mr. Purdy. Who were they? (Pause)

Mr. McKeown. A very. good friend of mine. We did a lot of traveling together. His name was Manola Artuse. I am sorry to tell you this. There was another one named Mario, but I cannot recall his last name. He married a woman from Puerto Rico and I understand that he is in Cuba now. Whether he is nor not, I have not seen him since him and came here and met Prio.

Mr. Purdy. Do you know of anybody else who knows him?

Mr. McKeown. Who? Mr.Purdy. Mario?

Mr. McKeown. Manola.

Mr. Purdy. Does the name Maria Valamios sound familiar to you?

Mr. McKeown. Yes.

Mr. Purdy. Was that him?

Mr. McKeown. It might have been.

Mr. Purdy. Do you recall anybody else who was working with Mr. Prio at that time?

Mr. McKeown. Oh, hell, yes. I do not recall their names. A Spanish name is easy to forget, and I just knew them by their first name, more or less. Ralph, for instance.

Mr. Purdy. Pardon me?

Mr. McKeown. A gentleman by the name of Ralph. He was more or less Prio's bodyguard and a lady named Marie Serez. Manola was close to Prio, and Mario, and three or four others but hell, I do not remember their names.

Mr. Purdy. Did you know, or have you heard of, Joseph Marello?

Mr. McKeown. Yes.

Mr. Purdy. How did you know him?

Mr. McKeown. Through Manola.

Mr. Purdy. You knew him personally?

Mr. McKeown. Just to talk with.

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http://time-proxy.yaga.com/time/archive/pr...,938749,00.html

It would appear that Prio now recognized that he had "backed the wrong horse", and therefore wanted a new race to be run, with of course him being in charge.

There are also noteworthy items related to some "400" cubans in New Orleans, LA, as well as discussions regarding the learning of the "Russian" language.

Thomas H. Purvis · March 9, 2006

Since the "Organized Crime" allegation certainly has more than sufficient "links & connections", not unlike all other aspects, one should make an attempt to locate the correct & direct connection.

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Mr. Purdy. How did you hear of Sam or Joseph Campesi?

Mr. McKeown. Through Prio.

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http://www.ianchadwick.com/essays/cubahistory.html

1947: Mafia chieftain “Lucky” Luciano arrives in Havana from Italy to meet with US organized crime bosses, including Meyer Lansky.

1952: Batista puts his name forward to run for president, but polls show him running in last place. Meyer Lansky gives elected Cuban President Carlos Prio Socarras a bribe of $250,000 to step down so Batista can return to power. Batista, instead decides to simply take over. He is unopposed in his almost bloodless coup. Immediately after US President Eisenhower recognizes the new Cuban government, Batista suspends Cuba’s constitution, and cancels upcoming elections. The US administration under Harry Truman recognizes Batista’s rule and sends economic aid, while allowing Cuba into the Organization of American States (OAS).

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Actually, there is, as they say, "Much, Much, More" here to learn.

As example:

"1953: In return for kickbacks, Batista hands out contracts to dozens of US corporations for massive construction projects, such as the Havana-Varadero highway, the Rancho Boyeros airport, train lines, the power company and a planned canal dug across Cuba."

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Would anyone like to "hazard" a guess as to where this "Canal" entry/exit was to be located on the southern coast of Cuba?

BAY OF PIGS.

However, all of the Naval hydrographic survey work, as well as that work done inland, demonstrated the rock sub-strata of the reefs as well as inland, which would create an impediment to shipping and would thus require considerable cost to construct the canal.

This work of course also demonstrated the "barren" nature of the surrounding land and mangrove swamps.

All of which was fully known to the US/US Navy/etc; well prior to the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

Most curious as to how the invasion force landing was progressively worked to this area.

Thomas H. Purvis · March 9, 2006

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1903: The United Fruit Company is allowed to buy 200,000 acres on Cuba’s cost for $400,000. The base at Guantanamo is opened and Cuba is paid $2,000 a year for it, in gold coin. In March, Cuba and the USA signed a commercial reciprocity treaty that ensured American control of Cuban markets. In July a treaty is signed to allow the US to create coaling and naval bases in Cuba. That same day, the USA also signed a treaty with Cuba agreeing to relinquish all claim to the Isle of Pines, but the US Senate refused to ratify the treaty within the stipulated seven months, and would not relinquish control for another 20 years.

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In 1903, Mr. E.P. Pawley, father of William D. Pawley, moves his family to Cuba and, in direct violation of agreements, is allowed to open the equivelant of the "Suttler's Store" just outside Guantanamo Bay.

And, in violation of agreements, this store is allowed to import goods (avoiding Cuban taxes) and thereafter sell items to cuban as well as American residents of cuba.

Some years later after US intervention (US Marine Corps) in Haiti, EP (Edward Porcher) Pawley moves his family to Haiti and assumes control of a similiar operation in Haiti.

Thomas H. Purvis · March 9, 2006

So:

Pawley & Prio are, shall we say, in the same "bus" together!

Prio & gunrunning support of Castro are in the same "bed".

Prio & organized crime, it would appear have "bedded".

Prio & Robert R. McKeown have joined in business ventures related to the gun-running.

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http://www.webcom.com/lpease/collections/a...jfk/mckeown.htm

Mr. Purdy. Mr. Chairman, I think it would be appropriate now if the Committee would like to ask any questions about Mr. McKeown's connections with Mr. Ruby. Following that, I will develop a line of questioning concerning Mr. McKeown's contacts with Mr. Oswald.

Mr. McKeown. Why go through all of this? I am here testify about Oswald and Jack Ruby and all of that Castro business-- I have all of that behind me and I want to leave it behind me.

Mr. Purdy. Did you recognize the name of the individual who shot Lee Harvey Oswald?

Mr. McKeown. Yes.

Mr. Purdy. Did you recognize his name as Jack Ruby? Did you assume that was Jack Rubinstein?

Mr. McKeown. I recognized him as the man who had come to see me.

Mr. Purdy. You recognized his photograph?

Mr. McKeown. On the television.

Mr. Purdy. After Mr. Oswald was shot, did you tell anyone that you had known Jack Rubinstein?

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For those who may be unaware, Jack Ruby had visited Robert R. McKeown.

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And for those who may be further unaware, Lee Harvey Oswald had visited Robert R. McKeown

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Mr. McKeown. Sam Neal was there when Lee Harvey Oswald came out of the house

Mr. Purdy. Mr, McKeown, when did you first meet Lee Harvey Oswald?

Mr. McKeown. Well, I was sitting in my home in St. Leon, Texas, and I would venture to say that it was around 9:00 or 10:00 in the morning and I seen this car drive up, it had a big picture window. I seen this car drive up and these two people got out and they came and knocked on the door and my wife was in her negligee and she ran upstairs, you know, and Sam was there, We were getting ready to go get some oysters or something, I do not know.

This fellow hooked on the door. As I opened the door he says, well, golly, I finally found you. You are McKeown, are you not? And I said yes. And he said well, I have looked for you quite awhile but I am sure that you are McKeown. So I invited him in. He had another gentleman with him and he was more or less in his shirtsleeves, you know, he was not dressed up or anything, but the other fellow was dressed up.

He says, I understand that you can supply any amount of arms. I said, who. told you that? He says, well, I' am pretty sure that you can do it. He says, we are 'thinking about having a revolution in El Salvador --that is where he said, I said, El Salvador? He said yes.

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Thomas H. Purvis · March 10, 2006

Mr. McKeown. Yes. Well, this, gentleman came out to my place. Not Mr. Butler, somebody else. I do net recall his name.

Mr. Purdy. Was his name Porter?

Mr. McKeown. Yes, it damn sure was. Jack Porter.

Mr. Purdy. Please explain the story.

Mr. McKeown. Anyway, he told me that it was a very mysterious thing. He told me, he says, do you have any work clothes like khakis, khaki pants and things? I said well, I can get some. What is the occasion? He said we want you to go to the top floor of the Gulf Building in Houston. We want you to get off two floors before you get to the top and walk up and dress like a working person. So I did. I went and when I got up there, Ike Eisenhower, like the picture there, his picture was all over and the American flag was all over and he asked me if I knew anybody who was going to be on Castro's Cabinet and if I could see my influence to get a quota of sugar. I told him I was on probation. I could not go to Cuba. And he said well, we can get you to Cuba. I said what is it? I think he was a campaign manager for Ike Eisenhower or something. I really do not know who he was, hut I know he was up in some kind of a campaign and this fellow Porter was there. And that was about all there was to it. He just wanted me to use my influence to get a whole lot of sugar.

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Houma Jack Porter/aka H.J. Porter/ aka H. "Jack" Porter

Republican Campaign Manager for Dwight D. Eisenhower for the state of Texas,

and extremely close acquaintence of Eisenhower, as well as the head of the Texas Independent Royalty and Producers Association (TIPRO).

However, not unlike another "Eisenhower Supporter", William D. Pawley, Mr. Porter also seems to have lost considerable favor as well as any influence which he may have had in the Eisenhower administration.

http://time-proxy.yaga.com/time/archive/pr...,862983,00.html

Thomas H. Purvis · March 10, 2006

http://time-proxy.yaga.com/time/archive/pr...,815126,00.html

Operation Ike

Jul. 30, 1951

In Texas, there is Jack Porter, oilman-turned-politician, who was the G.O.P.'s candidate for the Senate in 1948.

Eisenhower's past visits to Texas have brought out some of the biggest of Texas' Big Rich. Houston's Hugh Roy Cullen, oilman and a partner of Jack Porter, is an avowed Ike man.

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http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_..._n8756283/pg_14

Judge Wisdom and the 1952 Republican National Convention: Ensuring victory for Eisenhower and a two-party system for Louisiana

In addition, it certainly did not hurt the Eisenhower effort that H.J. Porter, leader of the Eisenhower Texans, lived in Houston and had unrestricted access, particularly at social occasions, to the Governors.''

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http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presiden...ocuments/78.cfm

"Memorandum for the Attorney General: Mr. Jack Porter of Texas visited my office this morning. He is very unhappy; says he has been completely ignored by the national organization and that his wishes in Texas have been completely flouted. This, he feels, is shabby treatment in view of the time and money and effort he has expended over the past number of years to begin the building up of the Republican Party in Texas.1"

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http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presiden...ocuments/10.cfm

3 H. J. "Jack" Porter, another of Eisenhower's longtime Texas friends, had led pro-Eisenhower forces in that state during the Republican primary campaign (Galambos, NATO and the Campaign of 1952, nos. 659, 833). In 1953 he was a Republican National Committeeman from Texas.

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Thomas H. Purvis · March 10, 2006

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/us-cub...rdner-smith.htm

Mr. GARDNER. Well, during the time that I was there, the last year, Castro had landed, and was hiding in the hills. And there had been an endless number of shipments of arms and other things to Castro, which could only come from the United States. Every once in a while we were able to catch such a shipment, and stop it. But we were not very active about it. And one factor which I think was one of the most serious was that the former President, named Prio, was living in Miami. I don't know whether you know this or not, but he was arrested, convicted, and paid a fine of $5,000 for gunrunning. And he was also indicted a second time. And yet no action was ever taken on it. My personal reason for thinking t was serious was that man many times Batista would send for me and ask me why this was. I don't know whether I have gotten off the track there, but that is my answer. The 2 years were 2 years of gradually making Batista feel we were pulling the rug out from under him.

Thomas H. Purvis · March 13, 2006

"I didn't realize that Bir, where Castro was born, was a village founded by United Fruit"

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/cuban-...ls/matthews.htm

Fidel Castro is the son of a Spaniard from Galicia, a "Gallego" like Generalissimo Francisco Franco. The father was a pick-and-shovel laborer early in this century for the United Fruit Company, whose sugar plantations are on the northern shores of Oriente Province. A powerful build, a capacity for hard work and a shrewd mind led the father up in the world until he became a rich sugar planter himself When he died last year each of his children, including Fidel, inherited a sizeable fortune.

Thomas H. Purvis · March 14, 2006

http://www.exploresaikung.com/people/Roosevelt.html

A fiery air crash, in which all 28 passengers and 7 crew were killed, put Sai Kung's Basalt Island in the news on both sides of the Pacific in 1948. Quentin Roosevelt, the grandson of American president Theodore Roosevelt, and vice-president of China National Aviation Corp. (CNAC), an affiliate of Pan American World Airways, was one of the passengers on that fateful flight from Shanghai.

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http://www.cnac.org/roosevelt01.htm

QUENTIN ROOSEVELT (1918-1948)

(CNAC 1948 - 1948)

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Name: Quentin Roosevelt

Given Name: Quentin

Surname: Roosevelt

NSFX: Mayflower Desc.

Sex: M

Birth: 4 Nov 1919 in Oyster Bay, Long Island, Nassau Co., New York

Death: 21 Dec 1948 in Near Hong Kong

Change Date: 21 Sep 2005 at 08:13

Father: Theodore * Roosevelt b: 27 Oct 1858 in New York, New York

Mother: Edith Kermit Carrow b: 6 Aug 1861 in Norwich, New London, Connecticut

William Pawley

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