892.01/2–2245

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs ( Ballantine ) to the Under Secretary of State ( Grew ) and the Assistant Secretary of State ( Dunn )

There is attached a memorandum dated February 22, 1945, from the Director of OSS for the Secretary of State,40 containing an interesting description of successful OSS operations and other developments within Thailand, which are of pertinent value in connection with the discussions which we are now having with the Thai Delegation.

In general, the OSS memorandum agrees in substance with statements made by the Thai Delegation to us. On two points, however, the OSS memorandum differs: (1) the Thai Delegation indicates doubt whether the Regent would be satisfied with anything less than a provisional government-in-exile, while the OSS reports that he desires to see established either a provisional government or an executive committee; and (2) the Thai Delegation says that the Regent wants such provisional government to declare war on the Axis powers immediately, while the OSS reports that the Regent proposes that the declaration of war would come when such provisional government is established on Thai soil.

It seems to us that the two points as presented by the OSS would indicate a more reasonable and logical attitude on the part of the Regent to those problems.

In the OSS memorandum it is suggested that some message of encouragement be sent to the Regent and his associates. This seems to be an excellent suggestion in view of the cooperation being given by the Thai in Thailand to OSS officers, the nature of our present discussions with the Thai Delegation, and the growing strength of the Thai Resistance Movement inside Thailand.

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It is recommended that a message of encouragement be transmitted by the OSS, both by radio and later orally, from the Secretary to the Regent, along lines as follows:

“Your efforts and those of your associates to liberate your nation from the oppressor are known and appreciated, and will surely not be in vain. I wish you every success in your effort to achieve this goal and extend to you my warmest personal regards.”41

J[oseph] W. B[allantine]
  1. Not printed.
  2. Mr. Dunn concurred with this recommendation on March 3; Mr. Grew concurred on an undisclosed date.