Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1920, Volume I

818.00/999

The Consul at San José (Chase) to the Secretary of State

San José, August 6, 1920.
[Received August 17.]

No. 823

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt early on the morning of August 3rd of the Department’s cable advising that recognition of the present Government of Costa Rica had been directed by the President.

Immediately upon receipt of the cable an appointment was made with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the information conveyed to him. A few minutes later the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Under Secretary, the Protocol and the writer went to the President’s residence and told him. In a few minutes it was advised by the President to the Banks and others. There was great rejoicing and the newspapers gave the notice much prominence. It counteracted the effect produced by the British notice of recognition to a large extent. That was considered as a direct result of the British representations on the Amory Oil concession and the notes held by The Royal Bank of Canada.³ The press is very bitter in arraigning Great Britain on the latter.

Herewith is enclosed an extract from La Gaceta of August 4th,⁴ giving the text of my note, in translation into Spanish and of the reply. My note in English was:

“San Jose, Costa Rica, August 3, 1920.

His Excellency
Alejandro Alvarado Quiros,
Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Sir: I have the honor to confirm my verbal message of this morning advising that the President of the United States has issued instructions granting recognition to the present Government of Costa Rica.

I take great pleasure in communicating the following as the message referred to above: [Here follows paraphrase of Department’s telegram of August 2, printed supra.]

With the assurance of my highest consideration and esteem, I have [etc.]

Benjamin F. Chase,
American Consul.”

The reply in translation was:

“No. 19, E.

San Jose, August 3, 1920.

Mr. Benjamin F. Chase,
Consul of the United States of America,
San Jose.

Mr. Consul: I have had the honor to receive your courteous note of this date, in which you confirm the notice which you gave me verbally this morning, relative to that, [the] Most Excellent, the President of the United States, has had the goodness to give his recognition to the “Government of Costa Rica, over which presides Mr. Julio Acosta.

It is a pleasure to manifest to you again the satisfaction which this agreeable notice causes to the Government of Costa Rica, and I trust that the relations between the two countries will be in the future as intimate and cordial as before.

I take [etc.]

Alejandro Alvarado Quiros”

I have [etc.]

Benjamin F. Chase

3. By legislative decree of June 28, 1919, the Tinoco regime authorized the issue of 15 million colones in currency notes, and by legislative decree of July 8, 1919, it authorized the circulation of notes of 1000-colones denomination. In a transaction with the Tinocos the Royal Bank of Canada came into possession of 998 of the 1000-colones notes. The Law of Nullities No, 41 of Aug. 21, 1920, nullified these issues.
4. Not printed.