751G.92/95: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 27—9:19 a.m.]
175. Reference is made to my 157, November 9, 5 p.m.59 and to the Department’s 80, November 16, 3 p.m. I thought and I am still sincerely of the opinion that the President and the Secretary should have the information which I submitted in regard to the policy of the British here in view of our general policy of friendship and sympathy for Great Britain, which it seems to me involves a moral obligation on the part of the latter to refrain at least from deliberately embarrassing us in our relationship with Thailand, especially in a matter of the importance of the Indochina affair which is a phase of our whole Far Eastern policy just as the Burma Road question is. I have given facts and following is a more recent example, quoted from the British-controlled Bangkok Times:
Referring to an article in the London Times, says the Bangkok Times, “We read further that Indochina must know that the United States and the British Government have both declared their interest in the maintenance of both the political and the territorial statics quo in Indochina. That we assume”, (meaning the Bangkok Times) “would not apply to Thailand’s modest request to Indochina in regard to territory that was formerly Thai territory.” The Bangkok Times then states that a good deal has happened since the article referred to in the London Times was written, “but the latest message we have seen would seem to show that Japan and Indochina are on very friendly terms, and would provide an example for Thailand and Indochina to follow.”
Obviously this is propaganda designed to mollify the territorially ambitious Thai and I am sure that it has the full approval of the British Minister. I repeat that the British here are apparently ready to make almost any concessions in the Indochina affair solely in their own selfish interests and without regard to us or our Far Eastern right of transit. I feel strongly that the President should have this information and I hope the Department will convey my report to him.60
Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Department’s telegram No. 80, the policy outlined therein is the one which I am following and which I have followed for several weeks.