REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. DECLASSIFIED Authority, Stateletter Inh2 By ML. NARA Dato 24 11 political fields, and without the intelligent administration of public affairs by honest and enlightened arristale. Phey shared the opinion that Costa Rica had suffered rom an excess or personal1. thirt that its courss of action iad too often been influenced by personal ceasons, and its politics by personal and famiiv connections. They believed that corruption was sappins the strength of the body politic. They felt that there was no continalty to bind together the succeeding administrations. They believed that public opinion was nou beilsufficiently inforined and aroused over the important issues of tee day, and saw no reason why this atrould not be done. In short, they thought that the oime had come to replace the traditional to vernment of men by che of laws, At first the peetings of the group were entirely informal, but as sley found that their opinions were becrystallized they decided to become a permanent body ard work tirds a definite goal. Accordingly on the first of Marell, 1940, they set themselves up as the Centro Para El Escudio De Problemas Nacionales, and outlined ror thendres, concrete program. In essence, their plan win 10 spend the first year of their corporate existenca stucs then to spend two years in publicizing the findings and drawing up a platform, and in the year to laugh a national political party.
From the beginning of the organization, the Centro we had the active support of two well known figures in Costa Rica intellectual world, Professor Roberto BRENES Mesén, and Licenciado Emilio VALVERDI Vega. The former, formerly Minister of Education in the Costa Rican Government and for over twenty years a professor in Northwestern University, is one of the outstanding Liberals active in his country political scene, although his cynical and anti Church point of view has decreased his importance, His years of residence in the United States, however, coupled with his interest in politics, have rendered him familiar with the best of Liberal thought, and it has been nis influence as much as that of any one in which can be said to have oriented the views of the Centro. Moreover, he took an active part in encouraging the group organization, and has been one of its stauncheşt supporters for the past three years of its existence.
Licenciado Emilio Valverde, a professor at the Kscuela de Derecho, has also aided the Centro in its struggle to prominence. naturalized Costa Rican of Spanish origin, he is known to political observers as being well Left of Center, and by some is suspected of having Communist leanings. In view, however, of the position taken by the Centro in regard to Comunism; which is discusseri later, this is not considered likely: Others feel that Valverde hopes to make use of his friendship with the Centro to further