REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. DECLASSIFIED Authority Statele Her Mhz eyme NARI 2498 group led by Picado, however, has greatly alarmed these people and they bitterly condemn President Calderón Guardia and the Archbishop for their part in bringing this to pass. As a result of this coalition the antiPicado groups hero view the future with greatest misgivings and there has been a sharp revival of the usual rumors provoked by communistic activities, viz. that the poones have become insolent and no longer obey their patrones, that certain rich men here are marked for punishment or extermination when the right time comes, et cetera.
These events are tending to create an ideological division in the political organization of the country.
On the one hand there is the Picado Mora coalition, made up of followers of Calderón Guardia, public employees and of the Vanguardia Popular. This group is definitely committed to a policy of social reforms and has made much of the obtaiming of constitutional social guarantees and of the enactment of the Labor Code. Its spokesmen reiterate their determination to continue striving for social improvement here and to prevent any undermining by the opposition of their efforts.
The opposition is made up primarily of the Cortés following, together with perhaps the majority of the business and professional men of the Republic who, while many are not too great admirers of Cortés, have become alarmed over the policies of the present Administration.
By and large the greater part of the country well te do families fall into this second category. The ideas of this group are essentially conservative and they view with alarm both the extension of communistic influence here and the introduction of social legislation, which they feel is not woll adapted to the country require ments. These persons are inclined to look upon the Costa Rican peon as an extremely ignorant person who is not prepared to assume greater responsibility, but who must be looked after on a somewhat paternal basis by the land owners and employers. They are bitter that what they call the patriarchal structure of Costa Rica is being undermined by communism and too advanced social reforms.
Hot Señor Picado last night delivered a lengthy radio address in which he endeavored to reassure public opinion regarding his party alliance with the Vanguardia Popular.
He insisted that their alliance was open and above board, that it had no sinister implications and that it was merely the expression of a sincere desire on the part of two groups to work disinterestedly for the social and material improvement of the country.
Replying to the criticism of the Archbishop for the part he has played in recent events, Señor Picado reviewed some of the pronouncements of spokesmen of the Church, notably Pope Loom XIII, devoted to social improvement.
He then linked this up with a statement of the fact that as a result of the present war, workers everywhere are going to enjoy greater well being and the great pilots of human destiny, the Roosevelts and the Churchills, have told