751G.92/28: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 20—8:35 a.m.]
85. Referring to the third and fourth paragraphs of the Legation’s telegram 79, September 15, 6 p.m., in which it was stated that the British appeared to be weakening in their attitude in regard to the Thai claims in Indochina, in a conversation with the British Minister today the Minister said, from the events of the last 36 hours in Indochina, he fears that we may be faced with a fait accompli there and that, if the United States and Great Britain persist in their attitude of the strict maintenance of the statics quo on the part of Thailand, the Thai Government may go over completely to the totalitarian powers. He said that he had, therefore, sent a telegram to his Government requesting that he, the British Minister, be permitted to convey verbally to the Thai Prime Minister a message to the effect that, while the British Government is strongly opposed to a change in the status quo in Indochina, nevertheless if such a change should “regrettably and unavoidably occur” the territorial claims of Thailand would not be considered unsympathetically by the British Government.
The British Minister indicated that he is alarmed and is in a dilemma over the British position in Thailand. He said that he believes the present Thai Government will fall in the event of the change of the status quo in Indochina and the failure of the Thais to recover the territory which they claim. He said he regards the Thai claim to the two pieces of frontier territory, designated in the aide-mémoire addressed to the Vichy Government, as a matter of minor importance and one to be settled between Vichy and Thailand, and he had so indicated to the Thai officials. The weakening of the British position on the Thai claim is revealed in an article which has appeared in the Bangkok Times, British-controlled English newspaper, in which it is stated that “two of these requests are reasonable now, if France has time to take them into consideration; and as to the big request for the whole of the Pacific [lost?] territory that is also reasonable since it would be applied only if such territory should go from French possessions.” The British Minister said the French Minister had informed him that the Thai Prime Minister had indicated in a conversation last Wednesday with the French Minister that Thailand may be at the “parting of the ways” with Great Britain and the United States because of their insistence upon the status quo. The British Minister confided to me that he believes [Page 136] that the Thai military mission which is now in Tokyo may be responsible for the new Japanese demands upon Indochina this week.
Meanwhile there is increasing evidence of preparations for any eventuality on the part of [the] Thais. The Government yesterday afternoon strengthened its hold on the country as the result of the demands of the assembly to amend the constitution to provide for an extension of the period of transition for 10 years from June 27, 1942 (reference to Legation’s telegram 53, August 17, 2 p.m.90). In the midst of applause the assembly also voted unanimously upon its action is [in] submitting to the Vichy Government the Thai claim for the return of certain territory in Indochina. The Prime Minister, who rarely attends the Assembly, thanked the house in the name of the Government, stating that the action of the Government had been taken as the result of the trend of public opinion in the country, as indicated by the members of the assembly, officials and the press. He added that the Government’s claim was based on justice and equality on both sides and he expressed the hope that the negotiations would prove successful. Sixty members of the Assembly, according to announcement in the local press, have signed a joint statement, which was presented to the Prime Minister, to the effect that they are ready to enlist for military service in the front lines in the event Thailand should become involved in war with any country.
Report received at the Legation from an American missionary residing in Ubon opposite the section on the Thai eastern frontier, which the Thais have requested Vichy to return to Thailand, states that there is considerable military activity there with 15 army planes temporarily grounded [as] a result of marshy field. The general opinion in that section, it is stated further, is that the Thais will use force if necessary to regain territory lost to France along the Mekong River.
- Not printed.↩