ruchy by me NARS 029 2418 Enclosure to despatch no. 106 of October 21, 1943, from American Embassy, San José, CoR.
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL BUIT San José, October 13, 1943.
2011 José, Costa Rica Datober 21, 1943.
Memorandum STRICTLE STREAL In the course of our conversation tonight the President made the following observations about the present political campaign: The President mentioned Cortés desire to organize a large manifestation in San José some time in November.
He thought it would be difficult for them to get more than 5, 000 persons together for this meeting which he said would be designed to stir up trouble. Also it would probably feature a demonstration in front of the American Embassy pleading for United States intervention in the campaign.
The President implied that Cortés would not have many facilities for transporting his people and that the Picado group would probably muster 4, 000 or 5, 000 men itself, who would be disposed to rough up the Cortés people if any trouble started. Regarding the Cortés charge that communism is a danger in Costa Rica today, he said categorically that the Vanguardia Popular Party was organized on completely mew bases from the Communist Party and that it has come out unequivocally for family, religion and property. The President made the interesting observation that in changing over the communist movement in Costa Rica to something that is closer to socialism he had really made a contribution of great value to the country political evolution. The President reviewed again his selection of the electoral boards which he said had been carried out on demonstrably fair bases. He insisted that the Cortés faction had no legitimate complaint on this score or on the ground that there was no liberty here in the campaign or that the elections would be rigged, et cetera. The President attributed some of the recent Cortés out bursts to a sort of desperate hysteria which is setting in now that they are sure to lose the election. He adverted again to the mistake it had been not to have accepted the compromiso which he (Cortés) alone blocked last August. The President said it would be difficult to reach any such compromise now since the electoral committees had been appointed and the Picado faction feels certain of its victory. More than a million colones have been contributed to the campaign fund, of which a bout 250, 000 colones had already been spent, hence these people felt they had a right to go ahead and win the election.
He mentioned the fact that the Cortés faction did not have money in its campaign chest (although he admitted that Canducho Gutierrez. the leader of the group suing the Compañía Bananera on the gold clause contracts. was contributing to it) and the political bet of 100, 000 colones in favor of Picado victory had not been covered by the Cortés faction.
EGT mm