818.24/7–2048
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. William Tapley Bennett, Jr., of the Division of Central America and Panama Affairs
I called on Ambassador Esquivel this afternoon to discuss with him the status of several requests submitted for arms for shipment to Costa Rica and to pass along information regarding certain aircraft now In California reportedly destined for Costa Rica.
I discussed quite frankly and thoroughly with the Ambassador the situation with respect to the list recently presented by the Embassy of arms being requested on advice of the U.S. military mission in San José for exchange with antiquated weapons now in possession of the Costa Rican army. The Ambassador was advised that the list as submitted by him has been sent by the Department to the Army Department for an expression of its opinion and for investigation as to whether the items requested are now available. It was explained to the Ambassador that the Department is not opposing the request and, in fact, views it sympathetically but that the difficulties lie in the lack of arms at the present time, the lack of legal authority to declare further amounts surplus due to recent congressional action and the difficulties expected to be caused for the export of arms through our own rearmament program. Ambassador Esquivel expressed regret over the fact that the possibility of obtaining arms seemed to be being cut off just as his Government needed them, whereas neighboring countries had already been supplied, but he appeared finally to realize that the probable failure of the Costa Rican request would be due to causes beyond the control of the Department rather than to a lack of sympathy with the Figueres Government.
The Ambassador expressed himself most emphatically as being sick of the whole armaments mess and very discouraged over what he regards as the necessity of his Government to arm the country to a level beyond that formerly held essential to the national safety. He said that he did not like having arms brought into Costa Rica and especially did not like the financial burden they imposed but that there seemed no alternative at present in view of what he described as obvious preparations on the part of General Somoza for aggressive action. He expressed complete pessimism over the chances for peace in the Caribbean area during the next few months and spoke at length in condemnation of the joint activities of Somoza and Trujillo, mentioning various incidents and reports which had come to his attention concerning the shipment of arms and warplanes from the Dominican Republic to Nicaragua. He also charged Honduras as being ready to assist Nicaragua in aggressive action. He asserted that Somoza and Trujillo are both emboldened by the United States non-intervention [Page 533] policy and feel that they can carry on their schemes without interference and that the danger of non-recognition of their regimes is removed as a result of Bogotá. I spoke of the mutual distrust so prevalent in the area at the present time, and there was agreement on the desirability of a spirit of confidence in the relations of the various countries in the Caribbean region as the only real solution to present unrest.
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