561. Telegram From the Embassy in Thailand to the Department of State1
795. Delivered letter to Thanat this afternoon accordance with Deptel 624.2 Although he had not retained any copy text contained Embtel 768,3 he immediately noticed absence of words “without delay” but did not pursue matter nor make issue out of it. I made my statement accordance third para reftel. Thanat said he regarded our statement as somewhat similar to our expressions to ChiNats on Quemoy and Matsu, that is US would, if necessary, take executive action rather than necessarily waiting for Congressional authorization as implied in Manila Treaty.4 I said I could not agree that letter in any way modifies our obligations under SEATO treaty, it merely reaffirmed them. It was not possible for me to predict all circumstances under which Executive might take action without Congressional approval and on which Executive may consider Congressional approval necessary. Letter was not “new treaty” between U.S. and Thailand but only reaffirmation our determination stand firmly behind SEATO obligations to Thailand and act upon them fully. Thanat did not pursue subject further but accepted letter as satisfactory.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 792.00/11–360. Top Secret. The source text bears a receipt date of November 8 and a typed notation that the delay was due to mishandling in the Telegraph Branch of the Division of Communications.↩
- Supra. A text of the letter was sent to the Department in despatch 269 from Bangkok, November 4. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–460)↩
- See footnote 2, supra.↩
- Reference is to the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty. (6 UST 81)↩