892.24/37: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 12—10:23 a.m.]
158. A special mission comprising eight officers of the Thai Air Force have gone to Japan to negotiate the purchase of war planes for the Government. I am reliably informed that the Thai are planning to make large purchases of other war material from Japan with the explanation that they have no alternative in view of our embargoes and the inability to obtain such material elsewhere. Many Japanese [live?] in Bangkok.
The British Minister has inquired of me informally if my Government might agree to sell such material to Thailand provided a guarantee were given that it would not be used for aggressive purposes. I replied that I thought my Government would not enter into such an agreement. Meanwhile the aggressive campaign against us for the requisitioning of the 16 war planes continues.
It is being charged that I was personally responsible for stopping the airplanes.