REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES 1982 12:20 47 Trisha 91170 AUORE GEDISS 1920. 71818, 404 36 318, 00 124 1818, 00 169 No. 389, June 13, 1942. It was also Mora who arranged the face saving compromise on the question of allowing religious orders to return to Costa Rica after the war (sée Legation despatch No. 575 of July 28, 1942. Since then, however, Mora and the Archbishop have disagreed (see Legation despatch No. 1171 of December 16, 1942. When Mora ran for the Presidency in 1940 he received 10, 825 votes, out of a total of 109, 916 (Legation despatch No. 2045, March 2, 1940. This was an excellent showing in view of the fact that Mora, alone among Costa Rican deputies, and previous to the elections, had refused to vote in favor of a motion censuring Russia for its attack on Finland (Legation despatch No. 2025 of February 16, 1940. All parties, as well as the Church, made much of this, and accused Mora of being a tool of Stalin.
Considering the sentiment against Russia at the time and more so in view of the position of the Roman Catholic Church, which is dominant in Costa Rica, it is obvious that Mora had a decided influence in the country. Russia magnificent battle against Germany has naturally given Mora a tremendous advantage. He has been clever enough, however, not to overwork it. He stayed conspicuously in the background when the Mexican labor leader, Vicente Lombardo Toledano, visited Costa Rica (Legation despatch No. 1100 of November 30, 1942. His policy has been to attack Germany and the Nazi Fascist ideals, and in this he has been a great help in furthering the war effort in Costa Rica. During the period of the treaty between Russia and Germany he limited himself to attacks on imperialism, calling the war an imperialistic one.
810. Because of his astuteness as a politician and the growing strength of labor in Costa Rica, Mora has been able to obtain the ear of President Calderón Guardia. It is. Mora who has backed, from the beginning of his career, the social reforms which the President has been able to put into effect. Each of these reforms strengthens Mora reputation among the masses. It claimed, and perhaps truly, that the syndicates have sent organizers among workers in the large companies here and informed them that they would not be able to obtain any benefits from the social security insurance, or obtain raises in pay or better working conditions unless they joined the syndicates. The syndicates have lately grown greatly in effectiveness and organization, and all but one of them are now organized into a National Union of Syndicates (Comité Sindical de Enlace Nacional. The syndicates have carried on an increasing amount of propaganda but Mora name is not signed to any of their statements. Nonetheless it is Mora who is the directing head. He is responsible for the union now existing among the syndicates in Costa Rica. Unionism began in Costa Rica about 1920 when a general confederation of workers was spontaneously called in San José by the workers themselves.
This resulted in a loose organization headed by General Volio, an ex priest in the Roman Catholic Church. This organization had little power or influence and around 1930 the shoemakers organized themselves into a separate syndithe most effective organization of its kind in the country and the head of it is Rudolfo Guzman.
Guzman