751G.92/274: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:17 a.m.]
105. The French Chargé d’Affaires Garreau called to see me after midnight and said he had received telegraphic information from French authorities in Indochina to the effect that France had rejected the Japanese plan for the cession to Thailand of large slices of territory in Indochina and that hostilities may be resumed immediately upon the expiration of the truce tomorrow Tuesday at 10 a.m. if not before. He also said that Bangkok would be bombed immediately hostilities began and further that he had recommended this to Admiral Decoux in Indochina, [and?] suggested designated areas on both sides of a general neutral zone which is largely residential. He adds that I should regard this as a warning to Americans residing in Bangkok.
I replied urging restraint, pointing out that Bangkok is practically an “open city” since it has a large and scattered population, including a sizeable foreign colony, which is defenseless from air since there are no air raid shelters. I said I thought that thousands of innocent people including foreigners would likely be killed in any air attack regardless of designated zones and that I was of the opinion that the French might lose more than they would gain by such an attack through the force of public opinion abroad, that there were many exclusive military objectives which could be attacked without endangering the lives of nearly a million civilians in Bangkok. Garreau said Bangkok was the “nerve center” of Thailand and must be attacked and while he would convey my message to the French military authorities he could not promise more than a delay to enable civilians including Americans to get out of Bangkok in the event hostilities are renewed.