HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY Papers of NATHANIEL DAVIS Diery, Dec, 17 48.
Most of the morning and for the first nart of the afternoon we were busy answering phone colls as to the time of errival of the COAS commission. The last Hirect word we had from he plane was that they would arrive sometime after five PM.
The local radio broadcast that they would be in at 30 end at Lord was broucht to me that they were landing at that moment.
Andy, Col. Hilches, and cot in my csr and started for the birnort. Shortly before we sot there he met the procession accomnanied by a great cruwd. jumped out of the car and nushed.
through to the Cer carrying Paul Daniels and tot in with him.
The procession nroceeded at a slov! Walk. All cars in low gear to the Hotel Costa Rica. The members of the cabinet With Fieueres in the lead car, together with the members of the commission were seated on the backsof open cars. The pavement was covered with flowers and petals, and the crowd threw flowers and confetti on the nassing dignitaries, Helf the town must have been jammed on the sidewalks and roofs and in windows, After a greeting at the hotel the cabinet left and the commission members went to their rooms to freshen ud. Later brought Daniels, Tap Bennett and their military side, Col.
Tapia Bosch, home for dinner. Andy and the Hucheses ioined us. tynical Costa Rican scene was the crowd in front of the hotel singing the national anthem. Various sections were singing different nerts. The nresident climbed up on the naranet and lead the singing, bringing the whole crowd into unisón. Can picture that hennening on vwhere else, People more much of the fact that there was not e soldier or nolicemen in sisht. It was stere manared to be a ponular recention by a nacific neople. must say it wes impressive, The fact that there were several hundred molice in civilian clothes and with their arms hidden in street one block from and Kakka parallel to the line of narch. just in case did not detract from the effect. The only attempt to control traffic was by the boy scouts. The Costa Ricans all believe that the apnointment of the commission vindicates their charges: the commission has come to restore peace in their country, and that it is now clear that they are the innocent victims of agpression. Hence the joy with which they were received. It will be interesting to see their reaction to the commission report, as fail to see how an objective report can avoid saying that there was fault on both sides. Costa Rica herbored the Caribbean Legion whose declared murnose it to overthrow Somoza, and he harbored Costa Rican exiles whose declared purpose has been to overthrow Figueres. Esch was provocation to the other. The important difference is that Somoza unleashed his dogs first and so made himself the Sacressor: but he would have had less reason to do so 287 there been no Lerion!
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