490. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State1
Dulte 28. Eyes only Acting Secretary from Secretary for President.
Dear Mr. President:
I have now completed my visit to Bangkok and am en route to Saigon. The Bangkok visit was most agreeable. I met with the King and Queen, signed an atomic reactor agreement, and had talks with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, Prince Wan.
There are some problems principally relating to the slippage in military and economic performance, but the relationship is highly satisfactory.
The Prime Minister went out of his way to deny in a most categorical manner reports of trend toward “neutralism”. My own feeling is that these reports grew primarily out of a certain feeling that we ourselves were changing our attitude and the Thais did not want to be left out on a limb. There is however some underlying trend toward closer relations with Chinese Communists, but it is now under governmental control.
I think now our relationship has been satisfactorily firmed up and that we can continue to count on the Thais so long as they think they can count upon us.
You might be interested to know that I am reliably informed that Nehru told the French Ambassador that my talks with him “had gone off very well”.
Faithfully yours, Foster.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–DU/3–1456. Secret; Priority. A copy of this telegram in the Eisenhower Library was initialed by Eisenhower. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series)↩