REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. DECLASSIFIED Authority, Stateletter Inhz.
ML, NARA Ozte 24981 EMBASSY OVISION LEGAKON OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 22 1943 THE WE CAN HEFURLIOS one San Josél con ICE STATE 608 September 20, 1943.
no 086 pa Subject: The Political Demonstration of September 15.
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL onyo RECEIVED DEPARTMENT OF STATE to Fond SÉNIS EVO ren.
OCR ON POLITICAL RETRA Mr. ULUSAN VAN The Honorable THOTSecretary of State, Washington, OCT 1943 DEPARTMENT OF STAL Sir: Referring to my telegram no. 648. of September 16, p. have the honor to report that the mass demonstration held on September 15th, the national holiday, in support of President Calderon Guardia and his social legislation passed off in very orderly fashion.
Workers from all over the country began arriving in San José early in the morning of the 15th and by 10 o clock it was impossible to transit the 20 or more streets where the parade was organized and reach the Parque España where the speeches were to be given. Heading the parade in a jeep were the President, Archbishop Sanabria, Teodoro Picado and Manuel Mora.
818. 00 1829 The crowd was controlled and organized by the special police (bearing red arm bands) of the Vanguardia Popular Party. In order to prevent any possible disturbances the parade was so organized that it did not pass within two blocks of the DIARIO DE COSTA RICA (see my despatch no.
560 of September 11. The crowd was variously estimated at from 25, 000 to as high as 100, 000 persons. From a reliable and confidential source the Embassy was informed that President Calderon Guardia himself changed the United Press correspondent telegram stating that there were 75, 000 persons present to read 100, 000 persons. An American citizen who has lived for many years in Costa Rica informed the Embassy that he had never seen so many people in San José and that the procession took two and a half hours to pass by his store. The majority of the observers seemed to agree that there were at the very least 30, 000 present in the parade in the city on September 15. It was not possible to contain all prethe crowd in the park and it is estimated that only a maximum of 7, 000 were therefore able to listen to the speeches.
The head of the Union ot Syndicates, Rodolfo Guzmán; the chief organizer of the Unions of the Catholic Church, Father Nuñez; the new Minister of Labor, Manuel BRENER Gutierrez