Office of the Historian

501.AA/5–2846

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Southeast Asian Affairs (Landon)

[Washington,] May 28, 1946.
Participants: Mr. Luant Dithakar Bhakdi, Siamese Legation
Mr. Konthi Suphamonkhon81
Mr. Abbot Low Moffat, SEA82
Mr. Kenneth P. Landon, SEA
Mr. Stanton,83 American Minister to Siam

In the course of conversation Mr. Konthi said that one of the most important instructions that he had from his Government was to get Siam included among the United Nations. He reminded us that on a previous mission, shortly before the end of the war, he had had similar instructions but that he had been unsuccessful chiefly because Siam was occupied by the Japanese.

Mr. Konthi went on to say that he had a letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Secretary General of the United Nations inquiring as to the procedure of applying for membership in the United Nations. He asked us what the procedure was and if we would support Siam’s application for membership.

Mr. Konthi was informed that the method of applying for membership was quite simple in that all that was required was a letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Secretary General applying for membership and agreeing to abide by all of the rules and the charter that were binding on members of the United Nations. He was also informed that the United States stood ready to vote affirmatively on the Siamese application for membership, that Siam might expect some difficulty from France in this connection inasmuch as France still considered itself in a state of war with Siam and that, therefore, it might be wise to give some thought as to the best time to apply.

Mr. Konthi said that Siam has never been informed by France that France would oppose Siamese membership in the United Nations, unless Siam first retroceded the disputed areas and that he did not believe that France would oppose Siam’s membership.84

  1. Mr. Konthi was a Siamese Foreign Office official.↩
  2. Mr. Moffat was Chief of the Division of Southeast Asian Affairs.↩
  3. Edwin F. Stanton.↩

  4. In telegram 84, June 5, 7 p.m., to New York, the Department informed Mr. Johnson that “We assume Siamese letter on membership may raise questions re constituting membership committee and referring applications to it.

    “Under membership resolution Committee would in our view not meet until July 15. We suggest that Committee not be constituted until around that time and that chairmanship might rotate with council presidency.

    “Would welcome your views re Chairmanship and method of constituting; committee.” (501.AA/6–546).

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