892.014/7–2946
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs (Wallner)
[Washington,] July 29, 1946.
| Participants: | M. Bonnet, French Ambassador |
| Mr. Acheson, Acting Secretary of State | |
| Mr. Moffat, Chief, Division of SEA | |
| Mr. Wallner, Acting Chief, Division of WE |
The French Ambassador called on the Acting Secretary at his request and presented the attached note,41 which he read aloud, explaining, amplifying, and commenting as he read. Considerable discussion followed resulting in the following conclusions:
- 1.
- The Ambassador agreed that the question of the withdrawal of the Siamese complaint from the Security Council was a delicate one to handle and gave the Department full discretion in presenting it in the way best calculated to obtain Siamese concurrence. He pointed out that the note would not make such withdrawal an absolute condition.
- 2.
- The Ambassador said that it was safe to assume that French willingness to consider that the technical state of war between itself and Siam had terminated to include its willingness immediately to resume normal diplomatic relations.
- 3.
- The Ambassador said that in his opinion the French Government would be willing at an appropriate time, possibly after a preliminary agreement had been reached with the Siamese publicly to associate itself with the Siamese in a public pledge to avoid future border incidents, provided that such a statement did not imply that France had been responsible for previous incidents.
- 4.
- On the subject of interim administration, the Ambassador agreed that we might present at once and without awaiting further word from Paris, a proposal to the Siamese along the following lines: “an administration of the disputed territories under the auspices of a third power or powers which will preserve the rights and prestige of both parties pending the court decision and involving the withdrawal of some top administrative and police officials responsible to the central Government”.
At the end of the discussion, Mr. Acheson said that this was a matter of sufficient importance to require consultation with the President and that he would get in touch with the Ambassador in order to inform him of the results of this consultation.
- Infra.↩