751G.92/164: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 13—12:25 p.m.]
21. Garreau, the French Chargé d’Affaires, has informed me that he was called to the Foreign Office this morning and given an intimation that the Thai were anxious to resume negotiations with the French and that they were in a receptive mood in regard to the proposal that both sides agree to stop hostilities pending an understanding in regard to the negotiations which was reported in my telegram No. 15, January 10, noon. Garreau said he could not gauge accurately the motives which prompted the Thai statements, especially since he had just received a very confidential telegram from Admiral Decoux at Saigon to the effect that the Japanese have again adopted a threatening attitude against the French both in the economic conference which is in progress in Tokyo and also at Hanoi.
Garreau informed the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs he was awaiting a message from Vichy in reply to his suggestion that the French agree to have the joint Thai-Indochina Commission take up for future consideration the question of the territory on the right bank of the Mekong.
This afternoon the Director of Protocol called at the French Legation and delivered a message to Garreau from the Prime Minister which stipulated three conditions for the acceptance of the plan to stop hostilities as follows: (1) the Thai military forces to remain on the spot where they are now (the Thai military forces are reported to have penetrated Cambodia); (2) the French agree now to the principles of the retrocession of the territory on the right bank of Mekong river; (3) the joint Thai-Indochina Commission to be convened as soon as possible.
The French Chargé d’Affaires sent a message to the Prime Minister to the effect that he could not transmit these conditions to Admiral Decoux since he was awaiting a reply from Vichy as indicated above.
Repeated to Tokyo, Chungking, Singapore, Saigon.