COSTA RICA DISPUTE

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27564, 22 January 1955, Page 7

COSTA RICA DISPUTE

Increase In Friction (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, January 20. Friction between Costa Rica and Nicaragua increased today. The Managua Government alleges that Costa Rican fighter aeroplanes attacking the rebels have violated Nicaraguan territory, and says that grave consequences will follow any additional border incidents.

The Organisation of American States strove to relax the tension between the two hostile countries by the setting up of a buffer zone along their common western frontier.

Nicaragua has made a formal charge that two of the four F5l fighter aeroplanes just purchased by Costa Rica from the United States crossed into Nicaragua yesterday when they entered the fighting for the first time with attacks near the rebel headquarters at La Cruz, in north-western Costa Rica, only seven miles from the Nicaraguan border. Nicaragua says that repeated violations by the aeroplanes could lead to a “grave state of affairs,” and has called on the O.A.S. Council to meet in Washing toh to consider Nicaragua’s charges. In Washington the Council of the Organisation of American States met and took formal note of a letter sent by Nicaragua to Costa Rica protesting against the alleged violation, and said that the Nicaraguan air defences will be mobilised to prevent a repetition. The letter accuses the Costa Rican pilots of a “grave violation of Nicaraguan national sovereignty.” The O.A.S. investigating commission plan, submitted today in identical telegrams to Managua and San Jose, would set up a zone 18 miles long and six miles wide along the two countries’ common frontier between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Nicaragua. This area stretches across the top of the north-western fighting sector where a showdown battle appears to be approaching. At Managua, Nicaragua’s President (Mr Anastasio Somoza), told reporters yesterday when the territorial violation was first reported that the situation between the two countries is “very tense.” He said the United States and the O.A.S. “must, be responsible if 'the Costa Rican President, Mr Figueres, attacks Nicaragua with aeroplanes which they have put in his hands.” Two of the United States-supplied Mustang fighters yesterday blasted the El Amo Airport near the rebels’ La Cruz base. A transport converted to war use also dropped improvised bombs made from oxygen tanks. In San Jose, President Figueres; at an impromptu press conference at his home this morning, announced prematurely that the Mustangs were m action again in the north-west. A check at the new El Coco Airport disclosed that the aeroplanes had not been able to take off because of a cross wind on the single runway. President Figueres said he would give the buffer zone proposal due consideration immediately. But he said that he thought it might hinder his troops in developing operations in the north-west.