REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES DECLASSIFIED Authority Statele ter hr By MENARS Date 24581 ul. 1, Desp. 218 San Jose, May 5, 1948. 3CONFIDENTIAL part in Costa Rican matters. He added that Gen. Rodriguez, whom he described as until about two years ago a Dominican senator who had a falling out with Trujillo and whose property had been confiscated has assumed a most condescending attitude towards Costa Rica, giving orders as though he were the actual commander in chief. Mr. Ulate named another six or sight officers from Santo Domingo, Venezuela, and Guatemala who are, he said, prominent in the Figueres group.
Mr. Ulate then said that while he had no absolute proof, he was convinced that Arevalo had assisted the movement as a part of his plan for the overthrow of dictatorships in Central America prior to the establishment of a Central American Union. He said he was not opposed to the idea of a Central American Union but that he did not believe it feasible. He said he felt that there were many preliminary steps such as economio agreements, freedom of migration, and a dozen other practical matters which could gradually be worked out but that the idea of a political union at this time was not possible.
The Ambassador said that while he had of course not been able to express an opinion with regard to the internal political situation, he felt he could both personally and as a representative of his government, state that he agreed with Mr. Ulate fully on the extreme inadvisability.
of any military venture in which Costa Rica might take a part destined to interfere with the government of neighboring state. He said that not only was the idea contrary to many inter American commitments but that he felt It would have severe and important reperoussions and that Costa Rica would find herself viewed with disfavor by the majority 11 not all of the Amerioan republios. He said he felt that a more of this nature would quite possibly ondanger the peace of Central America and could extend to endangering the peace of the continent, adding that 11 peace could not be kept in the Americas there was little hope that it could be kept olsewhere in the world.
In conneotion with the internal situation Ulate at one point remarked that the fear in Costa Rios against military dlota tor ships in any form la so strong that, aware of the diffloulties which had arisen in finding an acceptable solution for the present politioal situatim some of the soldiers now in the Tigueres ranks had informed him of their willingness to support him by foros of arms. He remarked that that would be the height of ridiculousness if after overthrowing the Pioado government the opposition should itself resort to arms to settle its internal diffioulties. Mr. Ulate CONFIDENTIAL