COSTA RICAN COMPLAINT

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25677, 14 December 1948, Page 5

COSTA RICAN COMPLAINT

American States’ Council Meets INVADERS FROM NICARAGUA (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 12. The Council of the Organisation of American States (the Pan American Union), after meeting to-day, informed the Coeta Rican and Nicaraguan Governments in identical telegrams that it would count on their fullest co-operation to maintain order in America ahd to collaborate in the carrying out of effective means to preserve peace. The council decided to meet again on Tuesday to determine whether the Foreign Ministers of the American Republic should be called into consultation to consider the Costa Rican charges of invasion from Nicaragua. The president of the council, Mr Enrique Corominas (Argentina), said that the Costa Rican Ambassador to Washington (Mr Mario Esquivel) did not make any charge of aggression directly against Nicaragua. Mr Esquivel contended that armed forces of diverse nationalities had invaded his country from Nicaragua. In San Jose, the capita] of Costa Rica, an authoritative source said to-night that Costa Rica might withdraw from the Organisation of American States if no action were

taken on its complaint. Costa Rica has also drawn the attention of the United Nations Security Council to the invasion of her territory from Nicaragua. In a telegram to-day to the president of the Security Council, Costa Rica said that she had been invaded by armed forces from Nicaragua late oh Friday night. The Council of the Organisation of American States met because Costa Rica had invoked the new Western Hemisphere Defence Treaty. Under the treaty 15 nations, including the United States, are pledged to come to the aid of any other signatories which are attacked from outside their borders. Any action taken by the council is provisional, pending a meeting of the American Foreign Ministers, which is the formal consultative body of the organisation. Mr Esquivel told newspapers before the meeting that his Country had been invaded by a force of 800 men of various nationalities and that only a small percentage were CoSta Ricans. He alleged that the invasion had been prepared openly in Nicaragua. Another Costa Rican estimate put the strength of the invading force which seized La Cruz at not more than 300. La Cruz was garrisoned by only 20 men. A Costa Rican Government communique claimed that the invasion force had been contained in a small area in the north-western extremity of the country. The Costa Rican Government improvised a defence force to take the place of the army, which was disbanded 10 days ago. A Government spokesman said today: “Our trouble is not to contain the so-called rebels. Our real problem is to keep thousands of men from rushing to the border to repel the invaders.” He described the invaders as “disguised in flashy blue uniforms.”