CECLASSINEU Authority Stateletter Inhz 8: ML Cate 24 98 3which, in turn, would permit Mora and the Vanguardia Popular to carry out the project. To this end, he stated, they had acquired three hundred hectares on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica and two hundred on the Pacific side and were preparing to put this land under cultivation. His plan is to have the main portion of the land worked communally under the absolute direction of an overseer, while at the same time the workers, who are to be carefully picked for their skill, will receive a small plot of land on which they may raise whatever crops they wish. One of the ideas of the communal organization, he remarked, was to create an opportunity to demonstrate the benefits which can be derived from the use of machinery and modern agricultural techniques. The workers are to be paid wages, and are also to receive a share of the proceeds of the crops, which will be bought by the National Bank at prices to be agreed upon. Should the experiment prove successful, agricultural production would be increased, and the way would be pointed for the stimulation of farm ent. It is interesting to note that throughout the course of the conversation Mora had nothing but praise for the present attitude and actions of the United Fruit Company. He said that his relations with that company had never been better, and he declared that this was a source of pleasure to him, for it was the policy of the Vanguardia Popular to keep labor disputes at a minimum as a contribution to the war effort of the United Nations. He added that his relations were also excellent with the airlines, but said that as soon as the emergency had passed his organization was going to come to grips with both the Compañia Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (a subsidiary of the Electric Bond and Share) and the Northern Railway. He spoke particularly bitterly about the management of the latter company.
In passing, Mora also gave his opinion of several influential Costa Ricans. He characterized Sr. Julio Pana, manager of the National Bank, as a very capable man when faced with purely banking problems; once out of his milieu, however, he intimated that Pena was rather lost. He pralsed Sr. Ramón Madrigal, president of the same bank, as a realistic man of action and stated that the country needed more men like him. This characterization was rather a surprise, for Sr. Madrigal is generally considered a shrewd and none too scrupulous business man, and both he and his brother, who is a member of the Economic Defense Board, have been criticized for placing their own commercial interests ahead of those of the country. Mora also spoke at some length of the Minister of Government, Fernando Soto Harrison. It should be stated here that for the past few days there has been a rather sharp exchange of news paper statements between Mora and Soto, in which the former has taken the position that, while Soto is correct in striving for national unity, he should not carry this policy to the extent of permitting the persecution of supporters of President Picado. Mora stated that Soto is a capable person but that he is young and inexperienced and for that reason he occasionally conmits mistakes. He went on to say that his position in the recent controversy had been distorted by his enemies to make it appear that his party was against political liberty, and that therefore he had requested President Picado to make a public statement clearing up the issue. This statement, he said, would be published in the near futurs.
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