169

Cranborne to Commonwealth Government

Cablegram D783 LONDON, 26 May 1944, 12.50 a.m.

SECRET

My telegram D781. [1] Following is revised text of proposed Declaration on Siam.

His Majesty’s Government favours restoration to Siam, after the war is over, of complete security as a free sovereign and independent State. They cannot however forget that the Government of Luang Pibul [2] took the initiative in declaring war on us in spite of Siam’s treaty of non-aggression with us; and they would remind the Siamese people that they must themselves contribute to their liberation. In the final settlement account will inevitably be taken of the extent of that contribution.

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1 Dispatched 25 May. On file AA:A989, 44/895/2/2. The original text (Document 54) was revised in the light of U.S. Govt critcism that it would not encourage the Thais to resist the Japanese. The U.S. Govt also wanted an unequivocal commitment that the United Kingdom had no territorial ambitions in Thailand.

2 Field Marshal Luang P. Pibulsonggram, Thai Prime Minister.

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[AA:A989, 43/735/303]