751G.92/171: Telegram
The Minister in Thailand (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 15—11:34 a.m.]
23. My telegram No. 21, January 13, 5 p.m. Garreau, the French Chargé d’Affaires, read to me today a telegram which he received last night from his Government rejecting Garreau’s suggestions that the Joint Thai-Indochina Commission agree to accept the question of the cession of territory but only for future consideration at the end of the war. Vichy pointed out that such procedure would lead the Thai to believe that the French were weakening and made the added point that the present French Government proposes to maintain intact the present territorial status of the French Empire.
Garreau said he did not intend to communicate to the Thai Government Vichy’s latest message at least for the time being pending a further exchange of ideas with his Government with a view to finding a formula which would result in the resumption of negotiations with the Thai.
Garreau stated the British Minister informed him last night that the only solution was the cession of the territory demanded by Thailand [Page 23] and that he, the British Minister, had telegraphed the British Consul General at Saigon to convey this viewpoint to Admiral Decoux. Garreau said to me that this would not influence the Admiral.
Repeated to Tokyo, Saigon.