REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES Nu DECLASSIFIED Althority Stateletter Inhz sy me, NARA Date 24 181 Asked as to whether or not the thesis held by Mexico appeared to have many followers in Costa Rica, the Minister said: yester to It is almost impossible for me to walk through the streets of San José without being Insulted by a communist.
The movement is growing rapialy and draws its inspiration from Mexico. 0 natural The Minister was then reminded that the communist vote as recorded at the recent election was only a little more than eight thousand, which was a very small fraction of the total number of votes cast. To this he replied that the full communist strength was not recoräed at the polls; that he lives in the country, comes in contact with the peasantry and knows that the strong undercurrent in favor of the communistic doctrines is not confined to the more populated centers, but is infecting the agrarian class as well.
Asked as to his views with regard to a proper means of combating communism in Latin America the Minister made the rather astounding statement that only by an invasion of Mexico by the combined forces of the United States and Great Britain, and the establishment of a new regime, could the movement be stopped in this section of the world.
It was then pointed out to the Minister that under our good neighbor policy, the United States could hardly be expected to forcibly interefere in the internal affairs of a sister republic, at least not until more aggravating circumstances arise, and even then only after every possible means to reach a peaceful settlement had been exhausted.
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