HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY Papers of NATHANIEL DAVIS UNCLASSIFIED No. 578 San José, November 22, 1948 SUBJECT: Inauguration of STICA Office at Pacayas.
THE HONORABLE THE SECRETARY OF STATE, WASHINGTON SIR: have the honor to report that another local office of the STICA waa inaugurated in Costa Rica on November 21, 1948, this latest one being at Pacayas, a small country town in the Province of Cartago.
STICA is the name under which the Institute of Inter American Affaira and the Ministry of Agriculture and Industry oparate their joint agricultural extension service in Costa Rica.
STICA and its officers have gained for themselves an enviable reputation in Costa Rica and count on the wholehearted support of the national and local authorities.
In fact, there is some competition among local commun1ties for its services.
Illustrative of the anxiety of rural communities to acquire STICA services is the recent action of the ani.
cipal Council at Pacayas. When that body learned that Pacayas was under consideration as the location of a new office, it sont a resolution to the national government urging such action, and out of its slender resources voted to pay the first two months rent on the office premises.
The formal inauguration on November 21 was made the occasion for day long festivities. The honor guests were President and Mrs. Figueres; members of the Cabinet and their wives; Mr. Howard Cabbert, Director of STICA in Costa Rica, and Mrs. Cabbert; my wife and Upon reaching the outskirts of the town about half past nine in the morning we were not by a cavalcade of horseman. The President and Mrs. Figueres, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Gabbert and were giver horses and thus, preceded by two horsemen carrying the Costa Rican flag, we made a triumphal entry into Pacayaa. At the town limite we were mobby UNCLASSIFIED