792.94/74
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The British Chargé d’Affaires called upon me this afternoon and, after he had handed me the various aide-mémoires12 which are referred to in other memoranda, read to me two telegrams he had received today from the British Minister in Bangkok with regard to the situation in Thailand. Mr. Butler stated that he would send paraphrases of these telegrams to me early tomorrow morning. The first telegram related to the very disquieting and acute situation in Thailand, while the second telegram, dated January 6, was less alarmist in its nature. The British Minister in Bangkok reported that the Japanese were exceedingly active and that the pro-Japanese party, including the Thai Navy and a large civilian element, was presenting the Prime Minister with an ultimatum either that he join the Axis under the aegis of Japan or that he would be confronted with an uprising. The British Minister urgently requested, as reported in [Page 7] the telegram today from Mr. Grant, that the Thai Ministers in Washington and London be called in in order that further representations be made to them to the effect that if Thailand joined the Axis or accepted the hegemony of Japan, Thailand would promptly become a vassal state.