817.00/5780
The Chargé in Costa Rica (De Lambert) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 26.]
Sir: Referring to despatch No. 1225 of May 31, 1928,10 with regard to the presence of former followers of Sandino in Costa Rica, I have the honor to report that on June 13, 1928 there appeared in La Tribuna of this city an interview purporting to have been given to a representative of that paper by the “Nicaraguan General Alberto Larios, one of the chiefs of the recent uprisings”.
In this interview Larios was quoted as saying that he had been leading more than 180 of Sandino’s forces for some time and that on May 28th last he and his men were defeated at Masaya by 660 marines and 20 national guards, that his forces were so badly routed and scattered that it was impossible to get them together again so he and fortyfive of his followers had fled into Costa Rica, many of his men being: seriously wounded and he himself having at the present time three wounds in his right arm. The report states that Larios came to San José, leaving his men in Liberia, the capital of the province of Guanacaste, in the northwestern corner of Costa Rica. Liberia is approximately forty-five miles from the Nicaraguan border.
But the following statement also was attributed to Larios: “I shall do everything possible to rejoin Sandino as soon as possible in order to continue fighting in defense of our beloved Nicaragua. My companions also will return and again put themselves at the disposal of the chiefs who are fighting for the liberty and sovereignty of Nicaragua. The forty-five who accompanied me have remained in Guanacaste, among them four of my staff, and only await the opportunity to rejoin the army.”
How much of this may be bravado and how much truth I am not in a position to state, but I felt that if Sandino’s men are fleeing to safety in Costa Rica with the intention of remaining here only long enough to recondition themselves and perhaps to secure some of the elements of war, and then to return to rejoin Sandino, it is time for the Costa Rican Government to take such action as may be necessary to prevent its territory from being used as a temporary sanctuary or as a base of hostilities.
Therefore I have discussed the matter with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and he has assured me that his Government will lose no time in having an investigation made and also in having such steps taken as the case may require. He also promised to advise me as soon as he has any information in the matter.
[Page 580]The Department will, of course, be kept advised of any developments.
I have [etc.]
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