711.182/7

The Minister in Costa Rica ( Davis ) to the Secretary of State

No. 1038

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s instruction No. 394, dated July 5, 1927, relative to the negotiation of a treaty of friendship, commerce and consular rights with Costa Rica.

After discreet inquiry I am under the impression that the present moment is not opportune to present this matter in a formal manner to the Costa Rican Government, for the following reasons:

The administration of President Jiménez will end in a few months and the presidential campaign for the election of his successor is in full swing. The elections will be held in February of next year and the new President will assume office on May 8th, following. Should the treaty be negotiated now it is probable that an attempt would be made to make a political issue of it. It appears advisable, therefore, to await until after the February elections to present the matter. It is possible, though not probable, that President Jimenez might be willing to enter into negotiations after the February elections.8

I have found that some of the Costa Rican authorities are resentful because of the embargo established by the Department of Agriculture against shipments of oranges from Costa Rica and that they maintain that a treaty such as that proposed by the United States can be made null and void, so far as free commerce is concerned, by what they consider an arbitrary ruling on the part of the Department of Agriculture.

I have [etc.]

Roy T. Davis
  1. Apparently no further efforts were made to enter into treaty negotiations with Costa Rica.