REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES DECLASSIFIED Authority Stateletter Inhz by ML NARS Date 249817 Enclosure No. 1, Despatch No. 132, March 19, 1946 American Ambassy, San José, Costa Rica.
RESTRICTED Page services were concentrated in San José, he said that he felt it unfounded since there are Social Security hospitals or clinics in most of the larger towns of the country, and mentioned that the main difficulty was obtaining the services of doctor who would leave the capital. He said that far from being staffed entirely with Vanguardists, the Social Security organization, which he thought included some 400 anap. loyees in all, contained a large number of Ulatistas. He said that the criticism that the Vanguardia dominated the Social Security organization could be disproved by pointing to the fact that Father Nuñez, one of his äcchio enemies, is a member of the Board and that, with the exception of Lic. Fernando CHAVEZ olina, a Valuarda Popular member, other members were either Ulatistas or not of his party.
These social gains, mora said, were the principal platform of his party and it was for their preservation that all their efforts were extended. He said that he felt that the laws in themselves were not unduly rigorous and, in fact, in many aspects were much ailder than those of the United States and a number of other countries. He added that they are not, of course, in any way strictly of Costa Rican origin since they include provisions of the legislation of many other countries which had established laws of this nature at an earlier date.
With regard to the participation of Barahona Streber in the confection of the Costa Rican Social Security law and his friendship with Arevalo, Mora was inclined to be somewhat depreciatory, just as he had in mentioning the former Communists Betancourt and Haya de la Torre who have left the Communist path.
In connection with the labor situation, he said that the relations between his party and the United Fruit Co. are now on a most satisfactory basis. He said that he felt that after the retirement of Mr.
Chittendon and the change in company policy which took place about the time of his departure, relations between the workers and the company had steadily improved. He said that he had most satisfactory relations with the late Reginald Hamer and now with his brother, Walter, and that he felt that the policy of Mr. Turnbull as Vice President in charge of Central America had been entirely satisfactory. He said that the company had allowed the labor organization, the CTCR, full freedom of organization in its camps; had assisted it in many ways and had even given it buildings for its meetings, etc. Mora said RESTRICTED