Office of the Historian

851G.014/10–145

The Secretary of State to the French Ambassador (Bonnet)78

The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of the French Republic and has the honor to refer to the Embassy’s note of August 22, 1945 with regard to the Indochinese territories acquired by Siam in 1941.

The United States Government recognizes that those territories were acquired by Siam with the support of Japan after the course of Japanese aggression had commenced. In accordance with its established policy this Government does not recognize the validity of the transfer of those territories to Siam; it concurs in the view of the French Government that the question of their restoration is not a matter for arbitration; and it believes that those territories should in fact be restored by Siam.

It will be understood, of course, that the foregoing view is not to be considered as supporting or opposing the merits of the pre-1941 Indochinese-Siamese border, and that the position of this Government that the Indochinese territories acquired by Siam in 1941 should be restored is without prejudice to any border readjustments or transfers of territory which may be effected by orderly, peaceful processes subsequent to their restoration.

In accordance with instructions of the Department of State a Department representative has conveyed the foregoing views of this Government to the Siamese political mission which is now at Kandy, Ceylon.79

This Government hopes that mutually satisfactory relations between France and Siam will shortly be achieved and aid in the early establishment of peace, stability and tranquility in southeastern Asia which, in view of the enormous investment in life and treasure which the United States has made to achieve peace and security in the Far East and in view of the future responsibility laid upon this nation to help maintain such peace and security, are a matter of deep concern to this Government.

Washington , October 1, 1945.
  1. Handed to the French Minister (Lacoste) by the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Vincent) on October 4; see memorandum of conversation, p. 1349. The substance of this note was furnished to the British Embassy in an aide-mémoire of October 9.↩
  2. See telegram 219, September 25, 9 a.m., from Colombo, p. 1336.↩