REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES 19871920 Titty 1TOS ORK GEWISS 7930 DEPARTMENT OF STATE DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLICS MERICA May 14, 1943 sé, Costa Rica 1943 Mr. Cabot. Mr. Bonsax: May Day Demonstration in Costa Rica Day demonstration.
Herevith a despatch from San José describing the May Day demonstration which was orderly and, for the most part, non political.
POLITICAL BELI WSER OP WGAN MAY 0 1943 NEMA BENT OF SI STATE 18. 00 1768 Both the Administration and the Cortes party exercised great restraint in preventing the injection of politics into the demonstration. It had been feared that the Communist leaders misht demand the continuance of President Calderon in. an unusually large the presidency beyond the end of his term, ay Day in San José but no such direct statement was made.
ful in avoiding any The speeches by Rodolfo Guzman, the Secreesident was also tary of the Labor Syndicates, Mariano political tendencies Cortes, a liberal capitalist and a member eferences were made of Congress, Manuel Mora, and the President te, Señor Picado, all voiced approval of measures designed and of the Diario to improve the lot of the worker. Guzman Communist leader, promised the support of the Labor Syndicates if the President continued his program of social legislation. Mora attacked the. 401, April 30, p.
foreign imperialistic companies, as well hat disorders of one as Cortes, and the Diario de Costa Rica in connection with for the publication of an article criticizing Bches to be delivered the President for granting permission to Music in Parque hold the demonstration at this time. He nced in the press likewise indicated that the Communist party ould constitute a legislation sponsored would uding the proposed ed by Congress this week. The Cortés Party, however, announced that the parade was not a manifestation in favor of the President but would be a labor demonstration of a general character.
Members of the Democratic Party (Cortesistas) were therefore urged to participate, and also to make use of the special trains and other methods of transportation to San José, provided by the government for persons desiring to take part in the parade. The President announced in the press of April 30th that any attempt to create disorder during the parade would receive immediate punishment. Both parties urged their followers to avoid the use of banners of a purely political nature calculated to cause irritation to political opponents, and not to use slogans or to make outcries of such character. One of the afternoon papers, on April 30th, reported that members of the Demooratic Party were arming themselves with knives and clubs, to be used in conion with the parade. Many rumors were current to the general effect that President Calderón Guardia had arranged a coup état, which would be introduced by PS HAL PS VGG speeches