HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY Papers of NATHANIEL DAVIS However, Minister of Justice Facio and one other member of the Junta whom he did not name were opposed to this policy and wish Costa Rica vote be in favor of containing the present situation. He said the Junta acted as a group of individuals each with his own policy, and not as a unit.
Mr. Ulate then asked what the policy of the United States government is in the matter and stated it briefly as con veyed to the Embassy in recent statements from the Department. Mr. Vlate said there seemed to be some thought in UN circles that Mr. Acheson recent speech might indicate a change in policy and that Cañas had telegraphed that the speech had made a tremendous impression and was interpreted to mean that the desired other governments to vote against the Brazilian resolution. replied that it should be clear that an expression of opinion by the Secretary of State as to certain steps which my government felt the Spanish government should take before we could vote for admission of Spain into the UN had no particular bearing on what decision any other government should take as to the rank of the representative it desired to maintain at Madrid.
Mr. Ulate said he was in general agreement with the policy as he felt that each country should decide the particular matter of representation in accordance with its own interests, and cited the fact that nobody objected to the maintaining an ambassador at Moscow when all the world knew what we thought of the Soviet government.
He said his view was shared by Mr. Figueres but that the latter was weak and unable to impose his views on the highly individualistic and emotional members of the Junta.
Ulate then asked in typical Costa Rican fashion just between ourselves what was my personal view. stated my personal view but repeated in slightly different words what had said as td the view of my government. Mr. Ulate said he agreed.
Later that evening saw the Spanish Minister at a cocktail party. He asked me how my interview with Vlate was. he followed up by saying that he was with Mr. Ulate: when the latter secretary called to make the appointment.
He said he had furnished Mr. Ulate copies of the two notes of Mr. Odio referred to above. told him that the inci.
dent put him (the Spanish Minister) in a very embarrassing position