HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY Papers of NATHANIEL DAVIS DIARY December 11, 1948. For the past several days information has been build ing up to indicate unusual activity among Costa Rican.
exiles, particularly in Nicaragua. Last night, shortly after dinner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs: came to the house at: Figueres direction to show me two cables from their minister at Managua and one from an unnamed person in Mexico to an American here, whose name had been removed as he did not want it involved. all of which repeated information we already had from Managua to the effect that there was much movement there and indications of an imminent attack on Costa Rica. All reports from within Costa Rica indicated that the country was calm, with no signs of preparations for any uprising on this side of the border, This morning was at the office in the midst of drafting a cable giving these facts when the phone rang and Gordon Reed calling from the Department asked for news. told him everything was calm here. About half an hour later the Diario siren blew and Alex went out to read the bulletin board. They had an announcement by the government that La Cruz, Guanacaste had been taken late the night before by Caldero communists after some fighting. called Reed back to give him that piece of news, finished my cable, and went home to lunch.
After lunch took a walk around the Presidencia, Seguridad Publica, and the Foreign Office. There were small crowds milling around the first two and, as all.
the cabinet ministers cars were parked outside, con: cluded a meeting was in session and did not try to go in to see anybody. The Foreign Office was shut tight.
telegraph boy was trying disconsolately to get in to deliver a cable. went home where learned that a few minutes before the Poesident had phoned asking for me. called back and he asked me to go to his office at three to meet him and. Ulate.
When arrived at the Presidencia found several of the ministers there and a certain amount of going and coming. The President was alone in his private office, dressed in khaki and wearing his hat. In the absence of a janitor he was rearranging the chairs and straightening up the