892.014/5–3146: Telegram
The Chargé in Siam (Yost) to the Secretary of State
most immediate
[Received June 5—1:55 a.m.]
585. Siamese Government has requested that Anglo-US observers be sent to northeast border area to remain for week or two. British Minister, Gen. Brunskill and I believe such visit would be useful as deterrent to further armed action and are despatching observers shortly. Lt. Col. Law75 will represent Legation. Observers will be instructed76 not to intervene in any way or support either side but they will be authorized to assist, when requested, local authorities on both sides in coming to common understanding and avoiding incidents.
We would appreciate being informed whether Department approves this step. If it does, it may wish to instruct American Consul Saigon77 to inform French authorities.78 In view their much more far-reaching proposal to Brunskill, (mytel 577 May 30) it is not believed they will object to this arrangement.
Foreign Minister told me this morning urgent instructions have been sent to provincial governors along Mekong to prevent any crossing of river from Siamese side while situation remains critical. It is unlikely of course that these orders can be completely carried out. I took opportunity to suggest that wildly exaggerated stories in Bangkok press (reference penultimate paragraph mytel 577) are creating state of public opinion which makes reasonable settlement difficult. Direk admitted exaggerations and said he would endeavor to correct situation.
In view of statement of Secretary General of UNO that he is not referring case to Security Council because Siamese did not ask him to do so, Foreign Minister is now considering formally invoking [Page 1010] Article 35 of Charter.79 He has not yet decided whether to submit to Council recent frontier incidents only or whole question of disputed territories. I reiterated US policy on disputed territories and expressed view that Siam would have more sympathetic hearing by Council if she had previously restored disputed territories to France or at least formally announced intention to do so. Foreign Minister stated he feared such action at this time would produce storm in Assembly but he would endeavor to work out formula which would satisfy US and Britain.
Since this whole question seems likely to come to a head rapidly, we hope British Foreign Office can be persuaded to proceed with joint recommendations submitted in mytel 488 May 8.
- Assistant Military Attaché in Siam.↩
- Instructions given to Colonel Law by Mr. Yost were transmitted to the Department by Bangkok in despatch 132, June 3, not printed.↩
- Charles S. Reed, 2d.↩
- In telegram 466, June 6, 4 p.m., to Bangkok, the Department approved the sending of an observer and stated that Saigon was being notified (892.014/5–3146).↩
- Paragraph 2 of this Article reads: “A state which is not a Member of the United Nations may bring to the attention of the Security Council or of the General Assembly any dispute to which it is a party if it accepts in advance, for the purposes of the dispute, the obligations of pacific settlement provided in the present Charter.”↩