DECLASTO Authority Stateletter Inhaz 8: ML c:a 24 18, EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN San José, Costa Rica November 27, 1944 No. 43 Subject: Transmitting Memorandum of Conversation between Acting Military Attaché and Minister of Public Security.
DER SECRET The Honorable The Secretary of State Washington, Sir: have the honor to enclose herewith a memorandum of a conversation held on November 21 between Lt. Colonel Roberts, Acting Military Attaché of this Embassy, and General René Picado, Minister of Public Security of Costa Rica, who has just returned from a trip to the United States. While this memorandum covers mans is thought that it should be transmitted in its entirety because of the insight it gives into the Minister opinions on several aspects of the political situation here.
818.
JOB It will be noted that the Minister stated that he had heard nothing concerning the sending of a Chilean aviation mission to Costa Rica; this subject is more fully covered in the Embassy despatch No. 2137 of November 24, 1944.
The attached memorandum also indicates that don René shares the views of many persons here to the effect that Mexico is actively interested in Central American affairs. He is apparently also convinced that there is close cooperation between the Governments of Mexico, the Soviet Union, and the More Calderón faction in Costa Rica. It is hardly necessary to recall to the Department attention the fact that the President brother is violently anti Communist, but it is interesting to note that there is evidently complete agreement on this score between don René, Subsecretary of Public Security Gallegos, and General José María Zepeda, Honduran Minister to Costa Rica, who is a close collaborator with the Department of Public Security of Costa Rica, As pointed out in my despatch No. 2180 of November 23, 1944, this group professes to fear that the President is under the influence of Manuel Mora, and it is their belief that no concrete good can be accomplished in Costa Rica until the President arrives at an open break with the Vanguardia Popular Party and severs all connections with ex President Calderón Guardia and his followers.
INC Respectfully yours, firmarharta Walter Washingtond Chargé Affaires ad interim osure: Memorandum Confidential 18! von em