751G.92/9: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 6—4 a.m.]
67. On the basis of conversations which I have had today with officials including the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, I am of the opinion that the Thai leaders are determined to reclaim their so-called “lost province” in Indochina in the event of any change in the status quo unless a very heavy restraining hand is applied by Great Britain and the United States. As events move rapidly in Indochina, as reported from various sources yesterday and today, the ambitious Thai leaders, fearful of being left out in the cold while the Japanese move in and take over control of Indochina, are straining at the bit and it would not be surprising if they should send their forces across the frontier simultaneously with the movement of Japanese troops into Indochina. According to reliable reports, the Thai have from 80,000 to 100,000 men under arms, they are calling up reservists and, as admitted to me by the Deputy Minister, they have strengthened the border police and have moved some of their planes nearer the frontier, ostensibly to prevent French planes from flying over Thai territory as alleged. There is no excitement in Bangkok, but I am convinced that the leaders are quietly making their plans for any eventuality on the basis of their very strong belief that the Japanese are preparing to move into Indochina. According to the Deputy Minister, the Japanese Consuls and subjects in Indochina have been ordered to leave the country today. He confirmed information which I received last night from the Agent and Consul General [at] Saigon60 to the effect that the Thai missions to Tokyo which stopped in Indochina had canceled certain engagements with the French authorities in Saigon in order to hasten on for consultations with the Japanese. The Deputy Minister stated also that he understood on the best of authority that the Japanese had not delivered an “ultimatum” to the French authorities in Indochina but had made certain “demands” which were still under consideration calling for permission to march Japanese troops through the northern section of Indochina and for military bases.
The British Minister, who is keeping in close touch with the French Minister on the Indochina situation, has informed me that the French Governor General in Indochina a few days ago requested the British Consul General there61 to urge the British Government to bring its [Page 99] influence to bear to prevent if possible any action in Indochina by the Thai, that he (the French Governor General) proposed to resist any Japanese aggression and that he wanted a free hand. In reply the British Government communicated with the British Minister who yesterday sent a personal message to the Thai Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs through the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs urging the Thai Government to exercise restraint in connection with the Indochina affair. The British Minister expressed the opinion that a similar démarche on the part of my Government would be extremely helpful at this juncture. In this connection the substance of the Department’s telegram 37, August 21, 6 p.m., was communicated orally to the Thailand Government on August 24th. I also followed the Department’s suggestion in the last paragraph of the telegram in question.
In reply to the Department’s telegram 42, September 3, 6 p.m.,62 it would appear, on the basis of confidential information which I received today from the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, that the inquiry of the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires63 was motivated perhaps by a keen desire on the part of the Japanese Government to learn the attitude of my Government towards the Thailand proposal for the return of the Thai territory in Indochina in the event of a Japanese invasion. The Deputy Minister said the Japanese official had approached him as to the attitude of the American Government towards the Thailand proposal before the Department’s reply had been received by the Thailand Government. He said he had replied that he could give such information to the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires only with the approval of the American Minister. I then said to the Deputy Minister that I saw no objection to giving the Japanese representative the substance of the Department’s formal reply, i. e. the Secretary’s statement to the press of July 16, 1937.64 In reply to my further inquiry as to how the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires learned of the Thai inquiry addressed to my Government, the Deputy Minister said he assumed that he received his information through either the German or Italian Legation which had also received the inquiry of the Thai Government. The Deputy Minister said that the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires had made reference only to the reply of the American Government in making his inquiry.
The foregoing except the last paragraph has been repeated to Tokyo.