REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. DECLASSIFIED Authority Stateletter Wahr ey NARA Dato 2418 COM Guardia said that he himself thought that the of Costa Rica, with its broadly based democracy, and its numerous small proprietors, would be unlikely. However, he believed that Costa Rica was being used increasingly as a focus for the dissemination of communism, and that there exists the real danger that this country may become an META 12 important distributing center for communistic propaganda.
In this connection, he mentioned the liberality of the Costa Rican attitude toward political refugees, and the Costa Rican tradition of freedom of speech and of action.
He stressed the importance of conditions in Costa Rica to the United States, owing to this country proximity to the Banauen aus er extremt raus wing 13 POSSIBLE CANDIDACY OT WI PRESIDENT RICARDO JIMENEZIA Dr. Calderon Guardia said that, notwithstanding the ti repeated aisclaimers of ex President Ricardo Jiménez of any Të intention to be a candidate for the presidency in 1940; he (Dr.
Calderon Guardia) considered that the entry into the contest of the old ex President is likely. Remarking on the wellknown political opportunism of Mr. Jiménez, Dr. Calderon Guardia thought that he would seek to form a coalition of all the elements in opposition to the present administration elements ranging from the high conservatism of ex Ministér for Foreign Affairs Manuel Francisco Jiménez to the communism of Congressman Mora Valverda. The significance of such a candidacy would be that politicians who cannot challenge the administration candidate on their own merits would be carried forward by Mr. Jiménez, who, notwithstanding his age 30422h and his fai.
Powers still a powerful influence over the Costa Rican populace.
Once in office, the aged leader