Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, The Far East, Volume V

892.01/12–1244

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Southwest Pacific Affairs (Landon)

[Washington,] December 12, 1944.

Participants:	The Thai Minister, Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj;
	Messrs. Abbot L. Moffat21 and Kenneth P. Landon, SP.

The Thai Minister called at the request of Mr. Landon to receive a message with respect to the Free Thai movement contained in Stockholm’s 5040 of December 8.²²

The Minister was informed that a message had been received from Minister Arthakitti at Stockholm to the effect that his brother, the Regent at Bangkok,²³ desired Minister Pramoj to organize a free government in the United States with himself at the head of it. Minister Pramoj was also requested by Minister Arthakitti to send a representative to Stockholm to discuss the matter.

The Thai Minister stated that the message was not what he had expected and was contrary to his declared principles. He said that it was not clear to him just why the Regent would make such a request. Mr. Landon suggested that possibly the Regent planned to escape from Thailand and wished to prepare an organization to which he could go immediately and with which he would have status.

Mr. Moffat indicated that it would be extremely difficult if not impossible to send a Thai representative to Stockholm without having such a representative noticed by the enemy. The Thai Minister said that possibly an American might be sent inconspicuously but that this was a matter for further study. It was the general opinion that further study should be given to the various questions raised by Minister Arthakitti’s message.²⁴

21. Chief of the Division of Southwest Pacific Affairs.
22. Not printed.
23. Luang Pradist Manudharm became sole Regent with the resignation of Prince Aditya Dibabha from the Council of Regents on July 24, 1944.

24. In a memorandum of conversation with the Thai Minister on December 15, Mr. Moffat wrote as follows: “The Minister stated that after much thought he had decided that establishment of a Free Thai Government with himself as head would be completely illegal; that he would have no right or power to do so and that he would under no circumstances do this. Later, he qualified this by implying that he might consider the proposal if the situation appeared desperate and the Regent absolutely required some such action. He stated that he thought the request if bona fide indicated that the position of the Regent was very serious and that there must be excessive Japanese pressure on him.” (701.9258/12–1544)

    In a memorandum of conversation with the Thai Minister on December 22, Mr. Moffat stated: “We discussed briefly the question of the establishment of a Free Tai government here, and I said that while it had not been considered by the Department, my own personal view was that such a move, unless there was some compelling reason of which we did not know, would not help them and might be embarrassing to us.” (701.9258/12–2244)