Office of the Historian

File No. 818.00/405

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Costa Rica ( Johnson)

[Telegram]
Washington, April 23, 1918, 5 p.m.

Your April 19, 1 a.m. You may hand the following statement to General Tinoco and use whatever means which are in your possession to have it become public:

The Department of State has received reports to the effect that those citizens of Costa Rica now exercising the functions of Government in Republic of Costa Rica have been led to believe by those persons who are acting as their agents that the Government of the United States was considering granting recognition to them as constituting the Government of Costa Rica.

In order to correct any such impression which is absolutely erroneous, the Government of the United States desires to state clearly and emphatically that it has not altered the attitude which it has assumed in regard to the granting of recognition of the above-mentioned citizens of Costa Rica and which was conveyed to them in February 1917, and further that this attitude will not be altered in the future.

Lansing

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Panama1 ( Price)

[Telegram]
Washington, April 25, 1918, 4 p.m.

For your information and whatever public use you may deem desirable, following telegram was sent American Legation, San José:

[Here follows text of telegram of April 23, printed above.]

Lansing
  1. The same, on the same date, to the American Legations in Guatemala and Nicaragua.↩