818.6363Am6/42: Telegram
The Consul at San José ( Chase ) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 17—10:25 a.m.]
39. Last night Costa Rican Minister for Foreign Affairs called at my room to show a note he had just received from the acting British Consul dated 13th July advising that (translation of the note in part as follows):
[“]The Legation of his Britannic Majesty in Panama and Costa Rica has received instructions from His Majesty to present to the Costa Rican Government a vigorous protest with respect to the projected legislation in so far as it may affect the Amory contract and to indicate that His Majesty’s Government would view the cancellation of the contract (in which there is British capital invested and in [Page 837] the fulfillment of the clauses of which they have already spent considerable sums) as a serious attack against British rights legally acquired, for which there exists no justification.”
See your telegram of December 9, 5 p.m.6 last year and my confidential June 19, 4 p.m.7
The question as to the cancellation of that concession with others is before Congress and my information is that part of the bill has passed third reading. See my despatch number 790 June 4th.7
Lack of recognition of this Government by our Government is placing it in jeopardy and threatens its very existence. This British question is one of many which it cannot handle properly without prompt recognition by the United States, and American interests in general are affected injuriously as a result. Instructions advised by telegram June 19, noon,7 have not been received. Please instruct if any further information required before the question of recognition of the present Government can be determined.
- Ibid., p. 876.↩
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