892.24/67
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)
The Thai Minister called at his request. He referred to his previous call on March 1853 in regard to various applications which had been rejected for license to export petroleum products to Thailand. …
The Minister then said that he wished to speak to me quite frankly in regard to the general question of relations between the United States and Thailand. The Minister said that he had very much at heart the maintenance of good relations between our two countries; that the Thai people and the Thai Government prized the long heritage of friendly relations with this country; that from an economic point of view Thailand was today dependent upon the United States; that, to use an old Thai saying, Thailand was like an egg in the hollow of the hand of the United States and, if the United States closed the hand, the egg would be crushed; that he had not felt it opportune to bring up the question of endeavoring to improve relations between the United States and Thailand while fighting was going on, but that now that fighting had ceased he felt impelled to bring to our attention his view that it was very important that the Thai Government not feel that the American Government was following a policy directed against Thailand; but that there be some manifestation of an attitude on the part of this Government which could be used in Thailand as a basis toward reestablishing the traditional friendly relations between our two countries.
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- Mr. Hamilton’s memorandum of conversation for that date not printed.↩