CEVASSEU Authority, Stateletter 192 2; ML, NARS C: 24 18 DEPARTMENT OF STATE DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLICS 1ERICA man. 2osta Rica, ary 16, 1944.
and Plans of Teodoro in Conversations interested in social welfare and improving the diet of the Costa Rican people. He plans to continue Fernandez Peralta, who is energetic and efficient, as Minister of Public Works, and to open up roads to undeveloped regions. He plans to lend assistance to farmers, including credits, and to develop new farming is. As Minister of Finance, he is seeking some one acceptable to the banking community and plans to reorganize the National budget in the interests of efficiency. Picado brother, René, is to be Minister of Public Safety, and expects to make a clean sweep of the inefficient officials now running it. It is believed that Picado will be friendly towards American corporations.
Picado will be handicapped by a critical financial situation inherited from Calderón Guardia, graft and corruption in the Administration, public indignation at the methods used in his election, and the feeling that he is a puppet for Calderón Guardia. His the Department with the plans of his Administration, versations which René Picado, and Reference is made 1927 despatch no. 1030 conversation which do and to the Embasy 14 transmitting campaign address.
appointment ias.
careful to stress dent Calderón Guardia and to indicate his intention of continuing the latter policies, it is believed that relations between the two men have never been especially close or cordial.
This is especially true since on several occasions Dr.
Calderón Guardia is supposed to have been willing to sacrifice Picado candidacy in return for the withdrawal of Cortés and the selection of a compromise candidate. In my conversation last night with the President he mentioned again the fact that Cortés made a grievous mistake in not accepting a compromise. Señor Picado has pursued the Presidency, however, with dogged determination and it is believed that his chief support has come not from the President but from the latter brother. Señor Francisco Calderón Guardia.
In our conversation on February 12 don Teodoro told me that he was very much obliged to don Paco and.
while implying that it was not politically feasible to give the latter a Cabinet post, he was considering making don Paco either Second or Third Designate.
PS