818.00/2–2046
The Ambassador in Costa Rica (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
No. 1621
[Received February 28.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that with the holding of midterm congressional elections on February 10 of this year, President Picado has reached the half-way mark of his period of office. (Picado was elected, it will be remembered, on February 13 and inaugurated President on May 8, 1944). Having reached this point it is felt that a review of the President’s two years in office may be of use to the Department. …
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International
The attitude of the Picado Government towards the United States has been from the beginning one of complete cooperation. Both President Picado and Foreign Minister Acosta have time and time again reiterated that the basis of the Administration’s foreign policy is to follow the exclusive lead of the United States. Such has proven to be the case in many instances, notably at both the Chapultepec and San Francisco Conferences.25
In at least one case, that of Spain, the policy adopted by the Administration has followed United States guidance to the detriment of the Government’s popularity. It will be remembered that Congress voted to request that the Government break relations with the Franco regime, the press has been unanimous in requesting the same thing, and in 1945 an anti-Franco week was organized which was participated in by various groups throughout the country. Both the President and the Foreign Minister, however, have remained steadfast in their determination not to sever diplomatic relations until such time as the United States should do so.
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Respectfully yours,
Third Secretary
- For documentation on the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace, Mexico City, February 21-March 8, 1945, and the United Nations Conference on International Organization, San Francisco, April 25–June 26, 1945, see Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. ix, pp. 1 ff., and ibid., vol. i, pp. 1 ff., respectively.↩