Cryptonym: JMCLIPPER
Since 1919, the National Catholic Welfare Conference was a major force in resettling refugees, particularly from Latin America. From 1966-2001 it was known as the US Catholic Conference, until its merger with the National Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/about/ David U. Groves (pseudonym Douglas Freapane) was a JMCLIPPER agent. John Newman notes that JMCLIPPER provided a Catholic cover for a covert action and propaganda operation, physically based outside of Cuba like all other JM programs. David U. Groves/FREAPANE had ties to New Orleans PR man Scott Wilson, campaign manager for Victor Schiro's mayoral bid in 1961 and Willard Robertson was a major donor. This entry on JMCLIPPER identifies Groves as the CIA employee who used the pseudo "Douglas J. Freapane" and who served in Cuba and Mexico City. A book about Schiro quotes from a letter Wilson wrote to Groves: Mayor Victor H. Schiro: New Orleans in Transition, 1961–1970, by Edward F. Haas https://books.google.com/books?id=vfoaBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT145&lpg=PT145#v=onepage&q&f=false Correspondence with Groves is listed in the catalog of Wilson's papers
http://archives.tulane.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/28278 http://archives.tulane.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/28285 http://archives.tulane.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/28277
Formerly known until 1952 as the National Catholic War Conference.
"(The Catholic Church) has made strong efforts, mainly through Catholic Action, Catholic Youth and the Young Catholic Workers (JOC - Juventud Obrera Catolica) to insure Church influence and an anti-Communist attitude (within the July 26 movement)." In Joan Mellen's The Great Game in Cuba, she identifies In her book, the author identifies JMCLIPPER as "the Catholic Church in Mexico", with Douglas Freapane/David Groves as the primary agent. At p. 108, she refers to Freapane as a member in the fifties of the "World Conference of Bishops". Upon review of the above-mentioned documents, it seems more likely that JMCLIPPER is a reference to an institution within the Catholic Church. See Ted Sorensen's book Kennedy, at p. 360, where he refers to the National Catholic Welfare Conference as representing the hierarchy of Catholicism in America.
In 1958, it was suggested by the archbishop of Havana to the American consulate that a "person of confidence" be used to speak with Fidel. The CIA's chief of station in Havana suggested "perhaps candidate could be found through National Catholic Welfare organization."
104-10217-10074: PERSONAL RECORD QUESTIONAIRE PART II - OPERATIONAL INFORMATION
Wilmer R. Aretz prepared this PRQ, 4/14/60: "The Case Officer (Douglas Freapane) meets with Subject (AMCALL-1) as a representative of JMCLIPPER." The questionnaire also says that AMCALL-1 believes he is working for JMCLIPPER. AMOURETTE-9 knows of AMCALL-1's relationship with JMCLIPPER. See 157-10014-10144, p. 70: JMCLIPPER is defined as either an institute or a foundation.
104-10217-10397: BIOGRAPHIC DATA: GONZALEZ GONZALEZ, REYNOLD (REINALDO, REINO, REYNOL, REINOL)
June 1960: AMCALL-1 was paid $200 a month "ostensibly by JMCLIPPER, for providing information on political, labor and Communist matters; and in preparing propaganda." AMCALL-1 was the secretary general of the JOC (Juventud Obrera Catolica, aka Catholic Youth Workers) and the United Christian Workers, the UTC. Reynold Gonzalez/AMCALL-1 stayed at the Odio home until his arrest in Oct. 1961. See Jim DiEugenio, Sylvia Odio vs. Liebeler & the La Fontaines, 10/15/96: "Re Lucille Connell. She was a Protestant who got involved in the Catholic Welfare Bureau. She came on very strong with Silvia as soon as she arrived in Dallas and, in fact, had sponsored her trip from Puerto Rico. Connell had known her sister Serita first. "She struck me as the most fantastic, the most kind and considerate person I ever met," says Silvia. "She was just so generous, and I had tremendous admiration for her." "She was very involved with a lot of different groups and talked to me about them. She was very intense about the John Birch Society. She was also involved with the Rosicrusians. And also with the Mental Health Association in Dallas." She was a very wealthy woman, married to a wealthy man but she divorced him and is now living in Long Island, remarried. (Name now Lucille Light, 50 Wynn Court-Muttontown, Syoset, Long Island 516-921-3519; Her husband (Connell) had a large CPA firm in Dallas. J. B. Connell?)" At https://kennedysandking.com/john-f-kennedy-articles/sylvia-odio-vs-liebeler-the-la-fontaines
Antonio Veciana, Trained to Kill (2018)
Circa late 1960: "Parents grew nervous that their children were being brainwashed...they were primed to believe anything. I went to an accountant I knew, Andres Cayon...Cayon got two people to draw up an official looking piece of legislation. We printed thousands of copies and let the underground network filter it onto the streets...it sparked 'Operation Pedro Pan', the exodus of more than fourteen thousands unaccompanied children sent out of Cuba by their parents with the help of the Catholic Church. Monsignor Bryan Walsh, the head of the Catholic Welfare Bureau in Miami, worked with the State Department to secure visas for the children...(in his history, Walsh wrote): 'Purported copies of a new decree circulated through underground circles. According to this decree (as rumored), all children will remain with their parents until three years old..(then children ages 3-10 would live in state run day-care centers and see their parents twice a month. No guarantee that children over 10 would see their parents at all.)'...The CIA's Radio Swan (JMHOPE), under David Atlee Phillips' direction, helped fan the flames. As soon as the Patria Potestad 'law' began circulating, it began broadcasting a message: 'Cuban mothers, don't let them take your children away! The Revolutionary Government will take them away from you when they turn five and will keep them until they are 18.' ...By the time commercial flights between Havana and Miami stopped, ending the exodus in October 1962, the flow had become a flood, with hundreds of children arriving every month. It had been named fancifully, a play on the tale of Peter Pan...most of the children never saw their homeland again...It had not been my intention to divide families...My goal had been only to deepen the discontent with the government, to sow more instability..."
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/S0196-1152%282011%290000019014
Circa November 1960: Susan Maret, Lea Aschkenas. Operation Pedro Pan: The Hidden History of 14,000 Cuban Children. Describes how Father Bryan Walsh of the Catholic Welfare Bureau arranged for the arrival of 14,000 Cuban children to be airlifted into the United States after the CIA spread a fake aimed at ‘‘disaffecting the middle class’’ stating that the Cuban government had passed a law permitting children to be taken from their parents and sent to communist indoctrination camps. The Operation Pedro Pan Group, Inc. contests this statement, saying it is untrue. http://pedropan.org/content/letter-cnbc-board-directors-operation-pedro-pan-group-inc
104-10193-10319: AMCALL OPERATIONS
12/14/60 cable: As MRP and AMCALL-1 were receiving considerable financial support from JMCLIPPER, "we informed AMCALL-1 that JMCLIPPER, while a private organization, was supported to some extent by grants from ODYOKE/United States and that consequently ODYOKE/United States was interested in MRP and AMCALL organizations." Note that 9/18/59 memo stated: "No problems have been encountered within the scope of AMOURETTE-B and AMCALL operations since JMCLIPPER cover was granted to FREAPANE..(prior he could not) name clients of JMCLOSET nor talk of non-existent work." He had previously sought cover with an international advertising agency that had made him an offer..."after Guatemalan experiences FREAPANE was considered 'too hot' for legitimate cover." Action has been taken to limit the number of people who know of his relations with AMOURETTE-B and AMCALL. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=36232#relPageId=4&tab=
NARA Record Number: 124-10296-10046, No Title
Enrique Molina Rivera aka Enrique Garcia was resettled on 3/3/62 by the National Catholic Welfare Conference. He was close to Laureano Batista Falla aka AMPALM-2. The FBI believed he was on the flight with Alexander Rorke and Geoffrey Sullivan that disappeared during Sept 1963: 124-10296-10046. Sullivan's daughter is a private investigator following intriguing leads indicating Molina Rivera aka Molina Garcia was a double agent: http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Alexander_Rorke
104-10093-10200: CABLE RE INVITATION TO BE AN OBSERVER
10/29/63, MEXI 6700: "Freapane invited by Father John Considine, Director, National Catholic Welfare Conference Latin American Bureau" to attend as observer in Catholic Latin America conference to kick off "Catholic Interamerican Cooperation Program aimed at committing all US Catholics to some form of cooperation with church in Latin America. Station requests HQ permission authorize travel Freapane conference with stop over in New Orleans to discuss conference with JMCLIPPER. Believe trip worthwhile from both op/cover standpoints."
10/29/63: Sluglines KUWOLF LINOODLE JMCLIPPER WSFLUFFER: "Station requests HQS permission authorize travel FREAPANE conference with stop over New Orleans to discuss conference with JMCLIPPER. Believe trip worthwhile from both op/cover standpoints."
104-10100-10334: TRAVEL AUTHORIZED
11/1/63 from Director to Mexico City, slugline KUWOLF LINOODLE JMCLIPPER ()FLUFFER: FREAPANE travel authorized with stopover New Orleans. FREAPANE should make open mail arrangements with JMCLIPPER." Western Hemisphere branch comment: "FREAPANE invited by REDACTED National Catholic Welfare Conference Latin American bureau, to attend as observer first 'Latin American Cooperation Conference'." United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Office of the General Secretary - An Inventory of the Records of the Office of the General Secretary at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives: See the listings for David U. Groves and D.U. Groves within the files for the National Catholic Welfare Conference: http://www.catholicresearch.net/data/ead/html/cua-NCWCOGS2.html
Commission Document 378 - FBI Memorandum Report of 29 JAn 1964 re: Oswald
1/23/64 memo by FBI agent James J. O'Connell: "Salvador Diaz Verson/AMPALM-26, a Cuban exile (was in Miami from 11/20/63-11/29/63)...Cuban exile (FNU) Borrell Navarros, employed by Mexican newspaper 'Excelsior', told him Lee Harvey Oswald had met with a Cuban Embassy official during Oswald's visit to Mexico City about the end of 9/63. On his return to Miami, Diaz informed Angel Fernandez Varela, another exile Cuban newspaperman, of the alleged contact of Oswald and the Cuban Embassy official. Fernandez, in turn, told (Jose Ignacio Lasaga, a Cuban exile and Chief Clinic Psychologist of Catholic Welfare Service in Miami) of the contact. Lasaga, in submitting a paper to the White House on the psychological motivations of Oswald, included information.. (now the meeting morphed into a car ride between Oswald and the Cuban ambassador to Mexico Joaquin Armas)...Salvador Diaz Verson reportedly had been in Mexico City following the assassination doing investigative work on behalf of an unnamed principal...(at p. 7: Diaz) had been Chief of the National Police of Cuba as of 1933, that he had been Chief of the Cuban Military Intelligence Service during the period 1948-1952, and that he is primarily, by profession, a newspaperman...He had been president of the Anti-Communist League in Cuba." (at p. 12) Fernandez said he had regular contact with Lasaga, the psychologist at Catholic Welfare Service, and he told him Diaz's story - Diaz is prone to "embellish" stories to make them more interesting. (at p. 14) Interview with Jose Ignacio Lasaga = a Cuban exile as of January 1962, he took graduate studies at Harvard University - former delegate-general with the MRR. (Note: Diaz/AMPALM-26 eventually admitted he made up the entire story.)