751G.92/215: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 28—6:35 a.m.]
48. As the inside story of events which culminated Saturday60 in the official announcement by the Thai Government that it had accepted Japan’s offer of mediation in the dispute between Thailand and Indochina is pieced together bit by bit, Japan’s grip on the political situation here becomes more evident. And it would appear that the Thai leaders in order to acquire their mess of pottage from the prostrate French in Indochina have gone along and deliberately put their heads into the Japanese noose. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs today in reply to informal inquiry regarding the events of the last few days could give no satisfactory explanation as to why it was that the Japanese Minister was issuing communiqués and making statements to the effect that Thailand had accepted Japan’s offer of mediation before the Thai Cabinet met to discuss the question late Saturday afternoon. He practically admitted that he did not know much of what had been going on, explaining he “learned later” that the Prime Minister had been asked by the Japanese Minister several days previously as to what Thailand’s attitude toward Japanese mediation would be in the event the French accepted the offer. The Prime Minister replied that Thailand would accept the offer under such circumstances. Vichy’s acceptance, under German pressure, according to the opinion of the French Chargé d’Affaires here, followed. I said to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs that it was my personal [Page 45] opinion that Axis politics had been quite active and it would appear that the Thai had been made a party to it.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs informed me that Prince Varnvaidya, adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will head the Thai delegation to Tokyo which will comprise high military officers representing the several branches. He said the Council of Ministers would consider the question of the extent of the territorial claims in Indochina to be presented by Thailand at Tokyo. It is believed that the Tokyo meeting will begin around February 1, he added. He also said that a high official of the Japanese Foreign Office, Miyahara, had arrived in Bangkok several days ago. The Japanese Consul General at Hanoi, Minoda, is also reported to have arrived here yesterday. A Japanese trade and medical mission are also here.
Hostilities in the frontier sections are still in progress although according to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs a truce will be signed as soon as word is received from Tokyo, probably within the next few days. The Thai forces are reported to be in possession of most of the two districts comprising the right bank of the Mekong which has constituted the basis of the Thai claims and these are also said to have penetrated approximately 50 miles into Cambodia.
Foregoing is for your strictly confidential information.
Sent to Cavite for repetition to the Department, to Chungking, to Hong Kong and to Shanghai. Shanghai please repeat to Tokyo.
- January 25.↩