Costa Rica breaks off relations with Germany

Late in the evening of 21 September 1917 the government of Costa Rica issued a decree breaking off diplomatic relations with the German Empire. It was announced in San José the next morning, which is why American diplomatic documents date the break to 22 September. The Germans living in the country were promised that they would keep their freedom as long as they behaved well. The German chargé d’affaires, Wilhelm Erythropel, was to remain in the capital until he received his passports. The American chargé d’affaires, Johnson, informed Washington of the decree in a cable sent at eight in the morning on 22 September.

Behind the decision stood General Federico Tinoco Granados. On 27 January 1917, as minister of war, he and his brother Joaquín had overthrown President Alfredo González Flores; in April he had himself elected president, and in June he took office under a new constitution. President Woodrow Wilson, who refused to recognise governments that had seized power by force, did not recognise his rule. For Tinoco, who without recognition could not count on American loans, Washington’s support was a matter of survival, and the war gave him an opportunity to seek it. As early as 3 April his foreign minister, Carlos Lara, gave the American minister an assurance that, regardless of the question of recognition, Costa Rica would maintain a “benevolent neutrality” towards the United States and would allow no hostile activity against them on its territory. According to Costa Rican sources, Tinoco also offered the Americans a naval base, the use of the country’s ports and waters, and even Cocos Island in the Pacific.

The break with Germany came about gradually. On 23 May Tinoco called former presidents, the president of the Constituent Assembly and the ministers to a conference on the matter. The foreign minister, the minister of war and the president of the assembly wanted an immediate break, but in the end it was decided that the country’s dignity did not permit such a step until Washington recognised the government. Johnson reported that San José was openly letting it be understood that it would break with Germany as soon as it was recognised. On 17 September, however, the foreign minister told him that the government would break off relations regardless of recognition, and asked whether the Americans would give the German representative a safe-conduct. That afternoon several Germans were arrested. Johnson saw no particular German activity and believed it was a play for recognition or an attempt to extract American help in the role of an ally. On 21 September Secretary of State Robert Lansing replied that the United States would give a safe-conduct if the representative of a neutral country applied for it on the German’s behalf.

The break did not change Wilson’s position. In the spring Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua had broken with Berlin, and Washington had received this with gratitude. Costa Rica did not get even that. Erythropel waited until October to leave. On 18 October, through the Spanish consul, he asked for safe-conducts for himself, his wife, two children and a nanny so as to leave for New York on 28 October, and the Americans, British and French issued them at once. On 23 May 1918 Costa Rica declared war on Germany, but even this did not bring Tinoco recognition. Weakened by revolts and American pressure, he stepped down in August 1919 and left for Europe.