FUG REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES TOT 195711, 2017 Telma 17 AUOSRY BUISS7930 It is doubtful if many deputies in Congress will vote against the labor code in the face of administration pressure and more especially in view of the fact that the administration undoubtedly believes that its sponsorship of this code will find favor in Washington. Labor continues to take every political advantage of the visit of Vice President Wallace who is still on his trip to South America. The syndicates have implied, without any foundation in fact, that the Vice President gave his vigorous approval to the controversial subject of including social guarantees in the Constitution. On April ll, 1943, for example, La Tribuna carried an article (a paid advertisement) by the Syndicate Union, with Mr. Wallace picture entitled Wallace and they123 Social Guarantees. The article again emphasized the Vice President desire to avoid protocol, see the basic economy 11617 of the country, talk to the laborers themselves, and especially the agricultural workers. It mentioned specifically that the social guarantees (see Legation despatch No. 389, June 13, 1942) were fully explained to Mr. Wallace during his visite here and continued that it was understood immediately by Mr. Wallace. with his clear intelligence, his visionary intuition of a great man and statesman of progress. that this constitutional reform is the most potent lever to move Costa Rica ahead. Ruled by a spirit of ample justice; based on a new and noble conception of collective life; backed by similar and more advanced steps in England, the United States, Mexico, Cuba, Chile, Colombia, etc. applauded by the immense majority of Costa Ricans, capitalists as well as workers, priests and liberals; Mr. Wallace demonstrated in many opportunities and in many conversations with members of the Cabinet of Dr. Calderón Guardia and with his friends in Costa Rica. among them heads of the workers movement and well known deputies. that the Chapter (Capitulo) of Social Guarantees was an excellent and true democratic conquest for Costa Rica. Copies of this article are enclosed.
1818, 00 1741 As mentioned above, the chief reason for the present power of labor is Mora influence on the President, who is seeking political support. The majority of Costa Ricans think the President very shortsighted, from the point of view of a patriotic Costa Rican, to align himself with Mora and especially in his recent introduction of the labor code.
There is some ground for believing that the President support of labor is not as sincere a Mr. Mora would like to believe. In the first place, President Calderón Guardia has a conservative background. His ardent Roman Catholicism would naturally tend to make him lukewarm, if not actually hostile, to association and political alliance with a Communist.
It was reported in my despatch No. 1171 of December 16, 1942 that the President brother and Minister of Public Security, Francisco Calderón Guardia, quite openly informed the head of one large company here that the administration had prepared legislation to prevent the formation of syndicates among the workers of certain public utilities, but that this legislation would not even be presented to the Congress if it became clear that the capitalists would refuse to give their financial support to the administration. From this, it would seem that the administration policy in support of labor is more political than sincere and that should the administration be able to obtain sufficient assurances from capital and other sections of the Costa Rican public that it would refuse to give its full support to the requests of Manuel Mora Communist party and the syndicates. It has also