Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The British Commonwealth, The Far East, Volume VI

741.92/9–645: Telegram

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Southeast Asian Affairs (Moffat)⁴¹

[Washington,] September 6, 1945.

Participants:	Mr. Dean Acheson, Acting Secretary;
	Mr. Abbot Low Moffat, SEA;
	Ambassador Winant, in London.

Mr. Acheson telephoned⁴² Ambassador Winant in London at 5:30 p.m. Washington time. He informed Mr. Winant that Admiral Mountbatten had presented two military agreements to the Thai delegates at Kandy, Ceylon, and unless instructed to the contrary by the British Chiefs of Staff by 4 a.m. Greenwich time September 7 planned to conclude both agreements; that the material in the two agreements was furnished the State Department and the JCS on August 20; and that the first agreement—a short agreement on strictly military matters—reflected the views of the JCS and the State Department, was satisfactory to us, and had, we understood, been accepted by the Thai.⁴³

He explained that the second agreement, however, would put Thailand for a very considerable period under economic and other controls, and the JCS and the State Department had informed the British Government that they disagree in part with those provisions.

He stated that he thought that our views demonstrated agreement in the essentials with British objectives, but that we were not in agreement on some matters to which we attach considerable importance; that the agreement had been presented in the name of all the allied powers concerned; and that this might put us in a very embarrassing position if concluded and we might have to disavow it.

Mr. Acheson then requested Mr. Winant to try to see Mr. Bevin⁴⁴ to urge either that the time limit for the negotiation of the second agreement be extended, or, if already concluded, that the agreement be held in abeyance until the CCS has been able to reconcile the British and American positions; and to say that we recognize the urgency of decisions, but that we feel that a brief delay on the second agreement would avoid considerable embarrassment later. He explained that we do not feel the British have acted unfairly, and we recognize the British have been under considerable time pressure in view of the delay on our side although they may have acted a little hastily; that at all costs we wish to avoid serious embarrassment and hope that Mr. Bevin will see his way to do as we request.

Mr. Winant said that he understood the situation and that if he could not reach Mr. Bevin he would try to reach Mr. Attlee.⁴⁵

41. Initialed by the Acting Secretary of State.
42. Transcript of conversation not printed.
43. Temporary Military Agreement No. 1 was signed at Kandy on September 8 by the Supreme Allied Commander, Southeast Asia, and Lt. Gen. Sakdi Senanarong, Chief of the Siamese Military Mission to SACSEA; a copy was circulated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff on October 8 as CCS. 906/6 (741.92/10–845).
44. Ernest Bevin, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
45. Clement R. Attlee, British Prime Minister.