713.00/172: Telegram
The Minister in Costa Rica (Lane) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:25 p.m.]
399. The Minister for Foreign Affairs17 informed me this morning that last September the Guatemalan Minister for Foreign Affairs18 had made a suggestion to other Central American States including Costa Rica that an exchange of views regarding a common foreign policy would be advisable. Until the present critical international situation developed, Costa Rica did not reply, the Government being of the opinion that the Guatemalan “insinuation” was made chiefly for internal political reasons. Echandi said that he has now replied in the affirmative suggesting furthermore that a meeting of Central American representatives should take place in Guatemala within the next 10 days. Guatemala has agreed. He said that the Government intends to name as its representative Luis Anderson.
The Costa Rican Government has also proposed that Panama also be invited in order that Panama may be identified with the Central American point of view rather than that of the “Bolivian” States.19
Echandi said that the real purpose of the meeting would be to insure a common foreign policy in sympathy with that of United States prior to the meeting at Rio de Janeiro.
Repeated to other Central American Missions and Panama.