892.6363/118
The British Ambassador (Halifax) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: When I saw you on May 2nd I mentioned that His Majesty’s Government felt that the situation in Thailand required urgent action and that it was important that we should do whatever we might be able to do as soon as possible. I have just had a telegram from London saying that the British authorities now feel that it is impossible for them to postpone their action any longer. [Page 143] They have therefore instructed Sir J. Crosby to speak at once to the Thai Prime Minister in the sense outlined at (a) in the Embassy’s aide-mémoire of April 21st. If he gets a suitable reaction, Sir J. Crosby will add that as an immediate gesture of goodwill His Majesty’s Government will arrange with the Shell Company for the early delivery to the Thai Government of one hundred and fifty tons of aviation spirit to meet their needs.
I have been instructed when informing you of these developments to emphasise that His Majesty’s Government still continues to hope that the United States Government will feel able to cooperate with them in this question and in particular that the State Department will soon be in a position to communicate the result of their consideration of the aide-mémoires on the subject of Thailand which this Embassy have recently sent to the State Department.
I take this opportunity of sending you a copy of a telegram from Bangkok dated April 30th,94 but only just received, showing how serious the oil situation in Thailand has become.
Believe me [etc.]
- Not printed.↩