I.
HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY Papers of NATHANIEL DAVIS San Jose, July 6, 1948.
Dear Mother: The Fourth of July has come and gone, and what a time.
On Thursday night the First spoke in English at the Costa Rican American Cultural Center on the Signiricance of the Fourth of July. The Minister of Education spoke on a similar subject in Spanish and there was a vidlin concert by a Costa Rican violinist who has just returned from a tour in the On Friday morning spoke to the children of the Methodist School. grades through also in English. In the afternoon we went to a cocktail narty, Saturday morning we drove ato San Joaquim de Flores, a smell town about fifteen miles from San Jose, for the annual exercises by the village school which is named for the United States. There spoke in Spanish.
The other speakers were the President of Costa Rica, the Presi.
dent eleot, the Minister of Education, and the principal of the school. The children put on recitations, songs and a dance the chorus of the nearby normal school also gang. On arrival the President hoisted the Costa Rican flag while the band played the national anthem, then raised the American flag while the band played our anthem. After the exeroises.
there was a large picnic lunch in the yard of the principal house. In the afternoon we looked in at tvo cocktail parties, In the evening we drove to Cartago where there was a huge ball in our honor commemorating Independence Day. As we entered and again as we left the band played the two national anthems.
On the Fourth, in the morning, looked in for a couple of hours at a pionic for American kids in a little town in the suburbs. From to was our official reception. 580 guests were counted. The President, President elect, members of the cabinet, judges, provincial authorities, with their wives, most of the American colony and many Costa Rican well wishers came. We were flooded all day with congratulatory telegrams and 74. floral pieces were delivered for the recention. The army band played on the lawn. Fortunately it didnot rain.
Thet night we went to a 11 at the country olub, 180 in honor tates, and also with national anthems and honors. stayed in bed all day Monday the 5th trying to break a cold which took hold of me during the day and evening of the 4th.
Today, the 6th, had invited 14 men for lunch to meet a vico president of Electric Bond and Share who is here in connection with relations between the local power company and the new government. The guest list was very carefully prepared to give him a chance to talk to the people he most needs to know, such as the Ministers of Finance and Public Works. While we were standing around waiting for lunch the President walked in uninvited and unannounced. Whether he heard about the party and just decided to come, or whether through some mex up he thought he was included don know. However, his presence cetta inly did no harm and was glad to have him. One of the less important guests, who had accepted in writing, did not