892.00(W)/8–2451: Telegram
The Chargé in Thailand ( Turner ) to the Secretary of State
498. Re Deptel 451, Aug. 21, 1951, rptd Singapore 246.1 Fol is full text press release re US–Thai rubber agreement:2
“The Govts of Thailand and the US today formalized an agreement regarding the export of natural rubber from this country to the USA. The agreement specifies that sale and purchase of rubber shall be through regularly established private trade channels in Thai and the US. The prices of the commodity shall be that at which rubber or equivalent grades and delivery can be sold at the time of offer in the world market.
“Under the agreement, the Govt of Thai assures the availability and allocation of 125,000 metric tons of natural rubber of standard RMA grades for purchase by private US interests and the Govt of the US during the 18 months period July 1, 1951 through Dec 31, 1952.
“The US Govt in turn agrees to assure the purchase by private coml interests and by the govt of the stipulated quantity of rubber.
“The agreement was signed by Phra Boribhand Yudhakit, Min of Com for the Govt of Thai and by Mr. Wm. T. Turner, Chargé d’Affaires of the US”.3
- Not printed; the Department in Telegram 451 to Bangkok, August 21, instructed the Embassy to send the rubber agreement publicity release to Singapore and Washington (892.2395/8–2051).↩
- In telegram 415 to Bangkok, August 17, which is not here printed, the Embassy was instructed to publish the full text of the rubber agreement with Thailand to demonstrate to other nations that they, too, would receive equal treatment just as the Thai were. The Embassy was also ordered, however, to refrain from exaggerations which would allow the Communists to point out that the United States would likely purchase the same amount of rubber from Thailand with or without an agreement, and the Department reminded the Embassy that the rubber agreement originated in the Thai desire to be able to counter any possible Soviet offer with the statement that Thai output was under contract and therefore not available to the Soviet bloc, which remained the principal value of the agreement to Thailand. (892.2395/8–1451)↩
- The Department of State did not publish this accord in TIAS because it was an “implementing agreement” associated with the Economic and Technical Agreement of September 19, 1950, the text of which is printed in TIAS No. 2170; 1 UST 915. The original copy of the rubber agreement, however, may be found in file 892.00–R/8–2551, and most of the material regarding the negotiations leading to the accord may be found in file 892.2395.↩