892.01/46
The Secretary of State to the Director of the Office of Strategic Services ( Donovan )
My Dear General Donovan: During a conversation held on January 26 between officers of the Department and the Office of Strategic Services, there was discussion concerning the desire of Free Thai leaders in Thailand to come out of that country and to establish headquarters at some point in the United Nations. As indicated in the enclosed copy of a memorandum of the conversation,2 it was arranged that officers of the Department should explore further with the Thai Minister3 certain aspects of the matter.
In pursuance of that arrangement, on February 1 officers of the Department had a talk with the Thai Minister as recorded in a memorandum of conversation, copy of which is enclosed.2 It will be noted that in reply to questions the Thai Minister indicated that he understood that Pradist4 would prefer to establish himself in India and that he and other Thai leaders would like to be given assurances before they come out of Thailand that facilities would be extended them to enable them to organize and function. It will also be noted that the Thai Minister brought up the question of obtaining assistance on a project to set up in China a Sino-Thai Army. In view of the Minister’s having raised this latter question a copy of the memorandum of conversation of February 1, together with a copy of a memorandum of December 23 which the Thai Minister handed to an officer of the [Page 1312] Department,6 is being referred to the War Department for its information and consideration.7
Sincerely yours,
- Not printed.↩
- Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Luang Pradist Manudharm, also known as Nai Pridi Bhanomyong, member of the Thai Council of Regents.↩
- Not printed; it stated the Thai Minister’s readiness “to enter into negotiations with the United States Government, with a view to carrying on to its honourable conclusion the Thai resistance as provided by law.” (892.01/48) For a further summary of this, communication, see memorandum of December 31, 1943, by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs, Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. iii, p. 1121.↩
- Letter of February 9 to the Secretary of War (Stimson), not printed. The reply of February 23 by the Acting Secretary of War (Patterson) stated: “The problem of supply to China is such as to require that we concentrate our efforts for some time to come on the United States forces and the Chinese forces currently receiving Lend-Lease aid.… it is not desired at this time to add unduly to the supply difficulties over the restricted lines of communication from India.” (892.01/49) For correspondence on control of Lend-Lease supplies sent to China, see vol. vi, pp. 952 ff.↩