New-York tribune., 1918-06-21
u S. Policy in Costa Rica May Be Aid to Germany
Continued from page

nant-alf very quietly and diplomatical-
~. of course--and to the investigator
the attitude of the Administration is
conundrum.
The story is an intricate but inter
7sting tale of Central American politics.
complicated by German propaganda
a propaganda not only for embarrassing
the enemies Of Germany, but which
looked far ahead to control of raw
materials in the trade war that is to
! follow.
When Germany went to war in 1914,
the President of Costa Rica was AL
fredo Gonzalez. Gonzalez at once al
lied himself with the pro- Germans,
joining the German Minister, the spc-
cial agent of the krupps, the German
Lorn bishop of the country and half
| a dozen others. Letters sent to him
by one Of these men, who was in the
United States at the time, show clearly
the German propaganda efforts levelled
at him, and the familiarity of their
l.tone indicated much progress had been
made.
Gonzalez was not pleasing to the pro
Ally group in the little country. But
ne remained as President until January,
1917, when he attempted to force his
army to occupy disputed strip border
ing on Panama, step which certainly
would have brought about trouble, de-
spite the fact that the ownership OF
the strip in question had been decided
| in favor of Costa Rica by Chief Justice
f, White in the United States Supreme
! Court.
Gonzalez Cries Outrage
Then came the peaceful revolution.
Tinoco was his Secretary Of War, and
! Gonzalez found that the army was
sticking by its immediate chief and re-
i iusing to recognize the President. Con
zalez fled without more ado, bound for
Washington. where his story of the
Outrage" was listened to with sym
pathetic ears by President Wilson and
Secretary of State Lansing.
Then the United States declared war
on Germany, barely two months after
+, Tinoco assumed power. Within six
waters of his little country, which as
the base for an attack on the Panama
Canal would be nearly ideal, stretching
as it does from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. Immediately north of Panama,
tc the United States.
Until that action, it rs notorious in
Central and South America, the new
! President had no trouble with the Ger
mans in Costa Rica. They care little
! for servants who have lost their use
fulness. and they were thinking of how
to use Tinoco rather than how to re-
store Gonzalez. But this decidedly un-
| %1xnt~ !.
down on Tinoco's head. Later, he broke
off diplomatic relations with Germany
Germans Offer Bribe
The Germans made one more big
effort to get along with Tinoco. They
assured him-knowing his great finan-
cial difficulties due to the refusal of
the United States to recognize him,
which carries with it insecurity for
would do what they wanted he could
have all tho money he wanted All
/ they wanted was q declaration from
! Congress of state of neutrality be-
! tween Costa Rica and Austria. That
would permit their afterwar plans. at
least, looking to accumulations of raw
materials, etc, to 60 forward un-
! checked.
Tinoco went to Congress, on May 49,
1918, and when the session was over
Costa Rica was at war with Germany
1t must be admitted here that Tinoco
1 had always wanted to declare war on
Germany, but he had hoped to get a
: price for that declaration, the price
being the recognition of his government
/ by the United States. Forced on by
the German propagandists, however, he
had to play his trump card without
toLiuor thn <rirk hn dosirpd
Inquiries at the State Department
since Costa Rica Joined the Allies re-
| zeal that the attitude of the Admins
tration is unchanged
1--WE will never recognize Tinoco,'
it is said there. "Sooner or later he
must fall through our refusal to recog-
nize him. We cannot recognize any one
coming into power through a coup
d'etat."
AS a matter of fact, three weeks
after he came into power Tinoco was
elected, by vote .f approximately
10000 to 5000, President of the coun-
try, at an election supervised by the
five living exPresidents Of the reput-
| lie. And these are not comic opera
x-Presidents, either, not one Of them
having served in the White House at
San Jose for less than four years.
No Evidence of Fraud
This, however, does not comply with
the conditions which have once o,
twice been laid down-once In the case
If Carranza-by the Administration in
Washington. 1t is insisted that the
coup d'etat ruler should not himself
be candidate for election, on the
theory that self-madc dictator natu.
rally could be expected to exercise con
troll of an election at which he was
candidate. Many Senators and dip
lomats who have studied this particular
situation, however, declare that all the
evidence indicates that Tinoco at the
time Of the election was tremendously
popular in Costa Rica. and that there
is no evidence of any coercion or fraut
or intimidation.
Why. then does not the American
State Department recognize the new
President who had indicated willing.
ness to play the American game il
South and Central American politics
and who has shown such a strong dis
like for the German propaganda in thai
part Of the world?
The answer is said to be that Presi
dent Wilson believes the statement
lLade to him by the deposed President
Gonzalez, that the Gonzalez govern
ment was ousted because it would no
give certain American interests con
cessions which they desired.
Untsrmyer Gave Tip
A ro{bor bnr,o