F HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY Papers of NATHANIEL P, DAVIS Lopez Ma segosa arrived on time in a highly excited state and repeated to us substantially what Limosner: had told us. He was asked if he would refuse to obey the orders of the President to which he replied that he and his men did not expect the President to betray them.
He gave a long harangue on military honor and concepts of humanity which was not very logical but what he said in effect was that his military honor would not permit him to obey the surrender orders of his superiors when he was still in condition to put up resistance and, to prove his concept of humanity, he was prepared to lay San José waste rather than surrender to an enemy he expected to kill him. After more of the same, he calmed down very quickly and agreed to obey whatever orders the President should issue.
While all this was going on, Mora and Calderon Guardia had arrived and been put in separate rooms. Each talked privately with the President and Mora talked with Padre Nuñez. They were not ready for a general conference until p. when we all met together; that is the five members of the Diplomatic Corps, Mora, Calderon, the President, Leon Herrera, Bonilla Lara, Maximo Quesada, and Francisco Esquivel. The Mexican Ambassador stated to compress remarks in a few words that the Diplomatic Corps had been asked by the government to take what action it could to save the city of San José. It had become apparent that to do that it was necessary to find a formula for resolving the military situation, leaving the political to the Costa Ricans; and, that the Corps itself had decided that the formula must be one which would not interrupt the constitutional order. The Chilean then spoke in similar vein adding that we had conferred with Figueres and that his first proposal had been acceptable to the President on the question of who was to assume the Presidency, the President refusal being based on his conviction that present, Mr. Figueres in power would not be conducive to public appleren The Panamanian then spoke at some length reviewing the entire situation and emphasizing the necessity for a peaceful solution which would be acceptable to the rest of the world. Since had been tipped off that just before the meeting Calderon had spoken very bitterly to some of those present about the alleged attitude of the United States hostile to him and his party. spoke to the effect that the Diplomatic Corps, which had been asked to intervene, was composed almost entirely of representatives of the American nations and that all the members of the committee appointed by the Corps to handle the matter, except the Nuncio, represented American nations. Therefore, while