REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. DECLASSIFIED Authority Stateletter Inha By me NARS 02:2 2498 Enclosure to Despatch No. September 2, 1943 American Embassy, San José, Costa Rica.
COPY In reply refer to a hassas tiesaient 3D File No. 830: petons omplained in se ud spon! HTS js 0385and e erisice.
AMERICAN CONSULATE wins tona dhe Port Limón, Costa Rica, August 24, 1943, Edward: Gat Trueblood, Esquiren e Chargé Affaires para esto.
American Embassy, 19 039)
On San Jose, Costa Rica.
etter sag te. und DE QUE Sir. 20 t otis piecent te, sa The newspaper accounts of the visit of Dr. Calderon Guardia to Limón on August 22, 1943 already must have come to the attention of your office, but nevertheless wish to point out the following significant aspects of the occasion.
The meeting was entirely a laborers affair. It was planned and directed by the members of the labor unions and their communist leaders. As far as has been learned, only one local official was invited, the President of the City Council, himself of the so called working class, The Governor, Port Capta in, and other officials were not invited, although they attended unasked. In short almost nobody was invited except Communists, la borers and their families; and nobody else was wanted.
The President arrival was attended by a crowd (including out of town visitors) of perhaps 3000 or more people who followed him down the main street to the field where the speeches were to be made. The crowd had by that time dwindled to the relatively small number of 1500 or 2000 people, 818. 00 18120 Many people wandering about in the streets of Limón made no attempt to hear the President, but apparently came to Limón for the free ride. Approximately 1400 people came into Limón as free passengers (about 700 from San José) on the special trains from San José, Siquirres, Guapiles, and Estrella Valley.
There were numerous speeches from representatives of the various Sindicatos, which finally were followed by the President address. The spokesmen for the Sindicatos expressed their gratitude for the President sponsorship of labor legislation, especially the Codigo de Traba jo. Then they petitioned the President aid in a number of projects, a few of which are as follows: 20 Construction of a grain storage warehouse at Guapiles, Formation of a Sanitary Unit in Siquirres, Division among the poor people of the abandoned land in Limón Province, Increasing the number of school teachers, and raising their salaries, Procurement of uniforms for the Limón police, who for months have been working in ragged old clothing.
RS MEL The