751G.92/22: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 16—10:55 a.m.]
79. Referring further to the Legation’s telegrams 75, September 13, 2 p.m., and 77, September 14, 10 p.m.79 Further conversations today reveal that the Thai Government will be willing to accede to the request of the Vichy Government that the pact of non-aggression between the two countries shall come into force without the usual formalities, provided both sides agree first on points 1 and 2, incorporated in the text of aide-mémoire, which was sent to the Vichy Government by the Thai Government and which is quoted in the Legation’s telegram No. 70 [78], September 15, 4 p.m.80 Point 1, it is understood, has already been agreed upon in principle by the two Governments, only the details remaining to be worked out by the Governments of Thai and Indochina. Point 2 is a new element which, it is claimed, has been introduced as the result of the fear of the Thai that the Japanese will march in and appear on Thai frontiers which are regarded as artificial by the Thai Government. The proposed return of the territories of Laos and Cambodia, as indicated in the last paragraph of the aide-mémoire, it would appear is not regarded as condition for the agreement to bring into force the pact of non-aggression although such an agreement on the part of the Vichy Government as proposed by the Thai is earnestly desired by the Thai Government.
The French Minister informed me today in strict confidence that he had received official information to the effect that definite agreement has been reached between the Vichy and the Japanese Governments to provide for permission to march Japanese troops through the northern part of Indochina into China. He believes other commitments have been made also. Therefore, the French Minister pointed out, the status quo in Indochina has already been upset and this, he believes, strengthens the claims of the Thai. In this connection he revealed to me that in his recent conversation with the Thai Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs at Lopburi (reference is made to the Legation’s telegram number 72, September 8, 10 p.m.81) the Prime Minister stated that the Japanese had promised to give the Thai what they [Page 118] wanted in Indochina but that the Thai Government preferred to deal with the French Government. The Prime Minister, according to further revelation of the French Minister, said that although Great Britain and the United States were urging the maintenance of the status quo in Indochina he (the Prime Minister) had not seen any British and American warships for the enforcement of same.
In a conversation today with the British Minister it was revealed that the British, as result of the fear that the Japanese may establish themselves in a sphere of influence in Indochina on the Thai frontier, as reported today by wireless news service from Berlin, may weaken in their resolve to urge and insist that the Thai adhere strictly to the policy of the maintenance of the status quo in Indochina. The British Minister said the Thai Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday inquired of him as to the British view in regard to the Thai proposal to the Vichy Government establishing two conditions for the agreement to put into force immediately the pact of non-aggression between the two countries. He said he had replied that the matter was one between Thai and the Vichy Government, that the British would have nothing to say if Vichy should agree to the Thai proposal. I then said to the British Minister that I thought we should continue to go along together in the matter of bringing all possible pressure to bear in order to influence the Thai to remain out of the Indochina affair on the basis of the larger and more far-reaching aspects of the question, which, as he agreed, the Thai officials apparently do not fully understand and appreciate.
I am beginning to fear that, as is usually the case, if I am not mistaken, our policy of consistent dealing may, in this, leave us out on a limb in splendid isolation while our friends compromise with the issue. It looks as though the British policy of appeasement is about to be applied to the Thai-Indochina affair.
- Latter not printed.↩
- Not printed; the two points referred to were as follows: “1, the fixation of the Mekong frontier by the deep water channel and the settlement of all other outstanding administrative questions as provided by the exchange of letters under date of 12th June; and 2, the adoption of the Mekong as the frontier between the two countries from the north to the south as far as the frontier of Cambodia, involving the retrocession to Thailand of territories on the right bank of the Mekong opposite to Luang Prabang and Pakse.” (751G.92/21.)↩
- Not printed.↩