811.20 (D) Regulations/3312: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 15—6:25 a.m.]
344. My telegram 343, July 13, 10 p.m.87 The British Minister handed to me today a memorandum labelled “Thailand Purchases Oil” in which the details of the proposed agreement between Great [Page 209] Britain and Thailand regarding oil supplies are outlined. There are 6 articles the first of which states that
“The British Government undertakes that throughout the period of the agreement the Thai Government shall be furnished with monthly supplies of oil as follows: kerosene, 3,000 tons; motor spirit, 3,000; Diesel 5,000; gas oil 1,000; aviation spirit for civil air services, normal supplies; aviation spirit, military purposes, such amount as the Thai Ministry of Defense may find it necessary to apply for from time to time; crude oil, 5,000 tons as basic amount for which as a rule oil products will be substituted but such amount of crude oil shall be furnished as the Thai Ministry of Defense may find it necessary to apply for from time to time in order to keep the oil refinery in operation; aviation lubricating oil and motor and industrial lubricating oil, such amount as the Thai Ministry of Defense may find it necessary to apply for from time to time.[”]
Article 6 states that “Regular supplies of oil to Thailand are conditional upon regular supplies of rubber to Malaya.”
I was given to understand that these proposals had been telegraphed to London by the British Minister.
- Not printed.↩