892.01/2–545: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China ( Hurley )
202. We believe that before reaching any final decision on the subject contained in your 159 and 160, February 2, and 169 February 5,27 we should await arrival of a Thai spokesman who is expected daily from Bangkok, and who has been authorized by the Regent to discuss these matters with us.
In the light of the information now available, we believe that it would be inadvisable to encourage the establishment of a provisional government at this time (reDeptel 146, January 2728). With reference to the question of the Thai establishing a Free Thai committee at some point or points in the United Nations, at present we perceive no objection if it is clearly established that the Thai leaders desire it. For various reasons, we would prefer the establishment of such a committee at Washington. However, the choice of a location for a Free [Page 1248] Thai committee or committees should await consultation with the Thai who are chiefly concerned. We also feel it would be desirable to consult further with both the Chinese and the British.
We have informally made known to the British Embassy here the fact of the forthcoming arrival of the Thai Regent’s representative and have promised to keep the Embassy informed of further developments.
In your discretion, you may inform Soong and the Generalissimo of the substance of the foregoing.
We shall keep you informed of the progress of our discussions with the Regent’s representative here.
- Telegrams 159 and 169 not printed; but for summaries, see footnotes 24, p. 1246, and 26, above.↩
- Not printed; it gave the substance of a note handed on March 20, 1944, to the British Ambassador ( Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. v, p. 1313), and repeated texts of telegrams’ 54, January 10, and 104, January 20, to Chungking, pp. 1241 and 1244, respectively.↩