Office of the Historian

751G.92/3: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Thailand (Grant)

Washington, August 21, 1940—6 p.m.

37. Your 51, August 15, 2 p.m., and 54, August 17, 3 p.m. In reference to the oral and confidential message from the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs communicated to you by the Deputy Minister on August 15 and in reference to statements made to you on August 17 by the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Department suggests that you make oral and informal reply along the following lines:

This Government’s position in regard to international problems and situations with respect to which this country feels deep concern, including its belief that the adjustment of problems in international relations should be made by processes of peaceful negotiation and agreement, was set forth in a statement made by the Secretary of State on July 16, 1937,42 which statement was communicated to the Thai Government. It will be recalled that the Thai Minister for Foreign Affairs in his comment to the American Chargé d’Affaires in Thailand at that time43 indicated the general concurrence of the Thai Government in those principles.

This Government believes that any problems such as that concerning which the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs has made inquiry of you should be considered and dealt with in the light of those principles.

In your discretion you may add as of your own initiative that you raise the question whether under the present disturbed conditions of the world there would be a prospect of reaching at this time an equitable settlement of this matter on a lasting basis.

Welles
  1. Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 325.↩
  2. See Department of State, Press Releases, August 21, 1937, p. 135.↩