811.20 Defense (M)/6752: Telegram
The Minister in Costa Rica (Scotten) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:24 p.m.]
251. Referring to the Department’s circular telegram of May 18, midnight.8 I urgently request a reply to my telegram number 200, April 21, in which I made certain suggestions about drawing up a contract with the Costa Rican Government for the purchase of rubber. Subsequent to that telegram Mr. Klippert has received instructions from his company to commence purchase of rubber for the Rubber Reserve Company. The latter has set up a credit in a local bank for this purpose and Mr. Klippert is actually purchasing the rubber. Nevertheless, no contract has been drawn up with the Costa Rican Government and although President Calderón gave me the assurances set forth in my number 200, I am apprehensive that if this matter is delayed too long, pressure may be brought to bear upon him to change his mind. Only yesterday Klippert informed me that the owner of a stock of rubber in Port Limón asserted that he had been offered a price of 40 cents a pound for rubber by some agency in Mexico and that he was requesting President Calderón’s permission to dispose of his stock to this buyer.