HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY Papers of NATHANIEL DAVIS. of vandalism without superior orders. We accepted that.
We had been told that something would be done about releasing the doctors and providing an adequate guard. We accepted that. However, we could be sure that the story. would be in the newspapers of the world tomorrow morning and that the reaction against Costa Rica would be so great that it could endanger all that we were trying.
to do. I, therefore, felt that before taking up any other matter, we should have assurances not that something would be done but that something had been done. The.
President, said he would call the Chief of Police on the telephone. He returned in a few moments and said orders had been issued for the release of the doctors and that a reliable patrol was being organized to cover the district.
He asked if that satisfied the American Ambassador and said yes. Nunez and Mora then told us that they were near an agreement and that they were sure Figueres would ratify it so that our meeting tomorrow morning could be the last, and successful.
With that, we broke up and the Nuncio and took Nunez home, leaving San Jose at p. and getting back about frankly do not like these night time trips through the lines and across no man land, but there seems no help for them. On the way to the Figueres lines Nunez told me of the real state of affairs and the imminence of a general Central American war. My memorandum of our conversation gives the details. Just after delivering the Nuncio to his home and starting for mine, the Nuncio came out and called to us to return. He said he had just received word that things were not yet quiet at the hospital. Colonel Lopez, my escort, and therefore went to the hospital where we found that the armed men had left but that none of the doctors or orderlies had returned. The nurses were gathered around in groups very frightened. told Colonel Lopez wanted to go to the President about the matter but just as we were getting into our car the President dorve up. The President visited every ward to satisfy himself that the men were gone and then telephoned to the penitentiary which informed him that his orders had been carried out; that all the doctors had been given their liberty; but, that all of them and 13 orderlies preferred to remain until morning because they were afraid to transit the streets during the hours of curfew. said that surely the President could provide a reliable escort to bring them safely from the penitentiary to the hospital. He said he could. said, Will you? He said yes and ordered Colonel Lopez and three others to attend it. went