751G.92/270: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:25 p.m.]
104. French Chargé d’Affaires has given me in strict confidence outline of the results of the “mediation” conference at Tokyo as reported to him by his Government at Vichy.
The Japanese have delivered to the French a virtual ultimatum which is supposed to expire today Sunday at noon, the terms of which are as follows:
- (1)
- Cession to Si am of the two territories of Luang Prabang and Pakse on the right bank of the Mekong which constitutes the official territorial claim of the Thai.
- (2)
- Cession of the whole of the Province of Battambang, two-thirds of the Province of Siem-reap and one-third of the Province of Kam-pongthom, all the way to the River Mekong—all in Cambodia, the entire territorial cession approximating 70,000 square kilometers.
- (3)
- Thailand to pay to France baht 10 million.
- (4)
- Establishment of a commission to fix boundaries and make necessary adjustments.
- (5)
- Japan to be [delegated?] with the control and application of the proposed treaty.
French Chargé d’Affaires is of the opinion that point 5 is designed to establish a virtual Japanese protectorate over both Indochina and Thailand.
Sent to Cavite for repetition to the Department, to Chungking, to Hong Kong and to Shanghai. Shanghai please repeat to Tokyo.
According to the French report, the negotiations in Tokyo have proceeded as follows:
On February 8, the first meeting, Prince Varnvaidya, Chairman of the Thai delegation, demanded all of the territory annexed by France since 1863, comprising all of Laos and Cambodia. The French demurred and the conference became deadlocked as far as official meetings were concerned until February 16 when Matsuoka called in M. Robin, of the French delegation, and said he was at a loss to proceed because of the wide divergence of views between the French and [the Thai?]. It was then agreed that the French Secretary General should meet the Thai Minister with a view to finding a solution. The next day, February 17, however, before this meeting could be held Matsuoka summoned the French and Thai representatives and announced that he had “a plan for final settlement”. The French demurred and demanded that [the Thai?] first withdraw their troops which had crossed the Mekong in the north.
The Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs thereupon announced that he must proceed immediately with his plan for two reasons: (1) the international situation, (2) a reason which he could not divulge. The plan as outlined above was then announced. The French delegates said they must await instructions from Vichy. Between February 17 and February 22 the Secretary General of the French Delegation was summoned urgently by Matsuoka and requested for an immediate reply “yes or no” and informed that Thailand had made reply and furthermore would not agree to extend the armistice beyond February 25. The time limit for the French reply was then set for February 23 at noon.