811.20 (D) Regulations/3690
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Willys R. Peck of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs71
Mr. Peck telephoned to the Thai Minister at his summer quarters at Osterville, Massachusetts, and inquired whether he had received any information from the Thai Government conveying decisions in regard to the proposal for purchase of Thai rubber and tin by the United States and export of American commodities to Thailand.
The Minister replied that he had not received any information on these points. He observed that his understanding was that since negotiations regarding rubber and tin were already in progress between the Thai Government and the British Minister in Bangkok, his Government felt that these negotiations should be completed before negotiations should be begun with the American Government. He said that Thai rubber and tin were ordinarily sent to Singapore and reexported from that port.
Mr. Peck said that the American Government was quite content that this procedure should be continued. Moreover, the British and American Governments, he said, were in thorough understanding regarding the disposition of Thai rubber and tin and allocations to the British could be arranged between Great Britain and the United States; the two Governments might, in effect, be regarded as a single purchaser. The important point, Mr. Peck emphasized, was decision by the Thai Government of the total amount of rubber and tin which it was prepared to allocate to Great Britain and the United States.
Mr. Peck recalled statements already made to the Thai Minister, that is, that the American Government desired to know what American commodities the Thai Government wished to acquire, in order that the American Government might be able to ascertain the fullest extent to which export permits might be issued; the American Government would be disposed, also, to assist, so far as might be practicable, in the carrying out of the Thai program of internal development.
Mr. Peck observed that, of course, the disposition of the American Government to assist the Thai Government in the matters just mentioned would be directly affected by the willingness of the Thai Government to assist the American Government in obtaining Thai rubber and tin. Mr. Peck said that the Thai Minister would realize that it might well be the case that some of the American commodities desired by Thailand would be articles needed by the United States [Page 198] and permission to export them might require some sacrifice; the transaction might be regarded as an exchange of accommodation.
The Thai Minister said that he quite understood the situation and that he would try to induce his Government to hasten its action in the matter.
The Thai Minister said that, as Mr. Peck knew, Thailand had very little tonnage at its disposal, ordinarily only sufficient ships to transport Thai products to Singapore, and he said that it might be very inconvenient for direct shipments to be made from Thailand to the United States.
Mr. Peck observed that the matter of shipping was one of the details that would have to be arranged after the two Governments had decided about recriprocal release of commodities, but he supposed that the American Government would be able to pick up its purchases at Singapore and that the vessels used for this purpose might, perhaps, likewise transport articles purchased by Thailand.
- Initialed by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton).↩