818.24/8–1048
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. William Tapley Bennett, Jr., of the Division of Central America and Panama Affairs
Ambassador Esquivel and Señor Oduber came in to discuss further the interest of the Costa Rica Government in obtaining certain arms and to report conversations with officials of the Department of the Army yesterday. Both seemed to understand clearly the reasons behind the recent rejection by the Arms Policy Committee of the list presented by the Costa Rican Embassy on recommendation of the United States Military Mission at San José. Ambassador Esquivel expressed himself as being pleased with the arrangements being made by the Army Department to assist the Costa Rican Government in purchasing equipment through commercial channels in the United States.
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The Ambassador reverted to his preoccupation over the situation in Nicaragua and reiterated his earlier expressions of concern over the maneuvers and training exercises of Nicaraguan forces in Corinto and along the Costa Rican border. He alleged, as on previous occasions, that a substantial number of Costa Rican exiles is being given military training by Somoza near the Costa Rican border and that there are frequent incursions over the border into Costa Rica. He also mentioned again the occasional flights made by Nicaraguan war planes over Costa Rican territory and stressed his fear, which I believe is an honest one on his part, that General Somoza has a definite intention to invade Costa Rica and to cause trouble in Guanacaste Province even though he may not have sufficient military strength to penetrate to San José through a hostile population.
He said that his Government had made a mistake in going ahead and expelling Nicaraguan exiles from Costa Rican territory as a conciliatory move toward Somoza.… The Ambassador said that his Government [Page 534] feels that the United States Government should take a stronger line with Somoza to prevent his going forward with aggressive plans. He stated that his Government believes it has the right to request such action on the part of the United States.
In reply, I told the Ambassador that this Government has received numerous assurances from General Somoza and from the Nicaraguan Government relative to its peaceful intentions and that this Government has lost no opportunity, and will lose none in the future, to urge on all governments in the area the urgent desirability of general compliance with international obligations concerning non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries. It was further suggested that many of the stories circulating all through the Caribbean area at this time and involving various countries are often based on rumor rather than fact and that rumor grows by repetition. The Ambassador was assured that this Government is taking all legitimate steps within its power to encourage peace in Central America and that our endeavor is limited only by our desire not to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign sister states. The Ambassador was further assured that there will of course be no let-up in the efforts of this Government in that regard.
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