Costa Rica - Garvey Papers - Doc. # 210422

G. P. Chittenden, Manager, United Fruit Company, Costa Rica Division, to V. M. Cutter, Vice-President, United Fruit Company, Boston

limón, costa rica

April 22, 1921

Dear Sir:

Marcus Garvey sailed for Bocas Thursday morning after three days of speaking in Limon and vicinity. The result of his speeches will in general, favorable to our business. The meetings were largely attended but there were not so many people as was expected originally. Three or four Jamaicans, resident in Costa Rica, had been groomed by their followers to attack Garvey in the meetings, demanding financial statements of his various enterprises and show him up in general. The best one of these lasted five minutes.

After all Garvey was the most conservative man of any attending the meetings. He told them they should not fight the United Fruit Company, that the work given them by the United Fruit Company meant their bread and butter and that they would not only deserve but receive the same respect as the United Fruit Company, once they had farms, railways and steamships of their own and showed that they could operate them. He said that in order to operate such an enterprise they must have money and that in order to get money they had to work. I know that at one meeting two scrap baskets and one suit case full of United States gold notes were collected (Garvey announced that he would receive nothing but U.S. currency in contributions), I know that at another meeting he stood beside a pile of gold notes which reached above his knees. It is impossible to estimate the amount collected but it might easily be as much as $50,000.00, all of which he took away with him in cash.

Mr. Barnett of the Federacion de Trabajaderes, endeavored to start a counter attraction during Garvey's stay here. He made no impression on the populace. All together we are very well satisfied with the results of the visit and can only wish the Panama Division the same luck as walked with us. I enclose Mr. Barnett's circular covering his counter attraction. Very truly yours,

United Fruit Company Records, Costa Rica. TLS. On UFC letterhead.