892.014/10–2346
The Acting Secretary of State to the French Ambassador (Bonnet)
Excellency: I have the honor to refer to your note No. 607 of October 2, 1946, requesting the good offices of the United States Government [Page 1096] in transmitting to the Siamese Delegation in Washington the Project de Règlement Franco-Siamois and in urging its acceptance by the Siamese Government. As you are already aware, the United States Government extended its good offices as requested.
I now have the honor to convey to you the attached memorandum which has been received from the Siamese Delegation.6
You will note that the Siamese Delegation under instructions from the Siamese Government is authorized to agree in principle to the French proposal and to accept it as a basis for negotiation subject to certain observations.
In connection with the fifth point under Paragraph 3 of the memorandum, Prince Wan explained that this paragraph had been improperly presented. This paragraph should have been, he explained, set forth as a separate point in which the good offices of the United States were sought to secure a reduction in the amount of rice which Siam is obligated to export pursuant to the exchange of notes dated May 1, 1946 between the Siamese and British Governments.7
With regard to the fourth paragraph of the memorandum, the Department reserves comment pending an indication of the views of the French Government.
The Department has examined with care the observations set forth in the Siamese memorandum and would wish to reserve comment at this time on the suggestion that reference to recommendations of the United States Government be included in the agreement. It understands that the Siamese observations constitute matters on which the Siamese Government desires especially to negotiate. It recognizes that as to some of these there may be differences of opinion between the French and Siamese Governments. This Government believes, however, that the action of the Siamese Government in accepting in principle the Projet de Règlement Franco-Siamois as a basis for negotiation establishes a firm foundation on which an agreement can be reached. It hopes most earnestly that the French Government will give most sympathetic consideration to the observations set forth in the Siamese memorandum and will promptly commence negotiations with a single eye to the fundamental objective of achieving an early peaceful agreement.
Accept [etc.]