Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East, Volume VIII

892.014/11–846

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

[Washington,] November 8, 1946.

Participants:	Mr. Dean Acheson, Acting Secretary;
	M. Bonnet, French Ambassador;
	Mr. Woodruff Wallner, WE;
	Mr. Kenneth Landon, SEA.

The French Ambassador, M. Bonnet, called by appointment on the Under Secretary and handed him for his information copies¹⁵ of a revised text of the proposed Règlement Franco-Siamois, a proposed Protocol for evacuation of the disputed areas, and an addendum to the Protocol providing for a Mixed Franco-Siamese Commission to function at certain points in the areas during the process of transfer. The addendum included provision for inviting British and American observers to be attached to the Mixed Commission.

The French Ambassador said that in general the Siamese and French points of view had been reconciled; that Paris had agreed to a compromise statement on Article 1 in regard to “declaring null and avoid” the 1941 agreement; that in fact the French had conceded almost everything that the Siamese had requested; that he felt that the Siamese were now stalling over petty points of no substantive importance; and that, therefore, he would appreciate it if the Department would urge the Siamese to take immediate favorable action on the proposed Règlement and Protocol. He added that the Protocol was identical with the one of 1941 with the exception of the addition of the proposed Mixed Franco-Siamese Commission. He said that the Siamese had referred the question of such a Mixed Commission to Bangkok and as yet had had no reply.

Mr. Acheson assured the Ambassador that we would urge the Siamese to take all reasonable steps to conclude the Agreement and Protocol promptly.

15. None printed.