892.24/95
The First Secretary of the British Embassy (Hayter) to the Assistant Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Smyth)
Dear Mr. Smyth: As I told you on Saturday,40 Sir Josiah Crosby has conveyed to the Thai Prime Minister instructions, of which the [Page 348] State Department was given a copy on November 10th, as modified in accordance with our aide-mémoire of November 17th.41
Sir Josiah Crosby has since reported that these instructions were received even less well than he expected, and it was clear that the Prime Minister was bitterly disappointed. He concluded the interview by saying that he would do all in his power to avoid war with Japan and would only fight if he must. He apparently told the Minister for Foreign Affairs afterwards that Great Britain would supply nothing more than oil and would leave Thailand to fight Japan alone.
Sir Josiah Crosby takes the view that the Prime Minister will now be more inclined to yield to Japanese pressure upon Thailand, which is increasing, and will silence any protests from the pro-British elements in the Government by saying that he made overtures to Great Britain which had been rejected. Sir Josiah Crosby fears that the possibility of Thailand’s entering the Japanese economic sphere must now be faced, and that a military arrangement can not be excluded.
Yours sincerely,