DECLASSITE Authority, Stateletter The 2: MLNARAC: 24181NA PAHT DE STATE JEE CS 96 EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 10. 1875 San José dostato September 18, 1944 Subject: Political Activity Increases as a Result of Laboris Kore Aggressive Attitude SECRET Fox D16771 Howe were dovo009.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE The Honorable The Secretary of State Washington, ecoceco DIVISION OF LABOR RELATIONS. LRD cobsen Sir: have the honor to report that the political situation has emerged from the state of quiescence which has recently characterized it, and that in the past few days renewed activity, largely centering about labor questions and instigated in many cases by the Vanguardia Popular, has been evident. The campaign undertaken by the Vanguardia, following closely upon the return of Manuel MORA from Mexico, has taken three directions: a political drive to discredit the active Conservative elements, increased criticism of, and economic pressure against, large companies, and renewed sniping at the Rerum Novarum unions directed by Father Benjamín NUÑEZ.
818. 00 1844 The celebration of the fiestas cívicas in San José to commemorate Central American Independence gave rise to considerable political propaganda. Prior to the holidays, printed sheets were circulated by hand urging a boycott of the various activities arranged for the occasion, and the extremist group of the Cortesista party left no stone unturned in its efforts to embarrass the Administration by making the fiestas a failure. This stratagem, however, failed, as did attempts to organize a large parade of women clad in mourning for Costa Rica dead independence. In point of fact, a small group of women dressed in black did parade through the streets on September 16, but the performance lacked numbers, enthusiasm, and support. They were jeered at along the route of their march by Vanguardia sympathizers nand it is stated that one Communist was arrested for interfering with the parade, but in general the demonstration, such as it was, was orderly.
29 פן CS Of considerably more consequence was an incident which occurred on the night of September 15. At that time a group of hoodlums broke the windows of a shop on the city main street in which there were placards soliciting contributions for the benefit of the family of a man shot during disturbances which attended the elections last February. Since the Cortesistas have in the past made an effort to picture the man fate as martyrdom at the hands of the authorities, this incident had immediate repercussions. The opposition at once claimed Ansi 1008