Office of the Historian

124.92/10–3145

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Vincent) to the Under Secretary of State (Acheson)6

[Washington,] October 31, 1945.

Sir George Sansom called this morning to say that, after talking “with me last week about Siam,7 he had sent a wire to London stating that we expected to send Yost to Bangkok early in November and that he would probably be designated Chargé of the Legation, which would signal our resumption of diplomatic relations with Siam. He went on to say that the Foreign Office had telegraphed the Embassy, indicating that the British Government was considerably perturbed by this information, and directing Lord Halifax8 to call on the Secretary to request delay in our resumption of diplomatic relations with Siam. Sir George said that he had called simply to let me know in advance that Lord Halifax intended approaching the Secretary as soon as possible. He went on to explain that the British Government considered it very important that they be given a little more time to complete their negotiations with the Siamese before we reestablish diplomatic relations with that country, and asked whether it would not be possible for Yost, with any number of assistants who wished to accompany him, to proceed to Bangkok simply for the purpose of investigating the situation and keeping us informed, without assuming the title of Chargé. He referred to the fact that the British foreign Office has similar representation in Bangkok and said that he could fully sympathize with our desire to have someone there.

I told Sir George I would on my own authority, subject however to confirmation by Mr. Acheson, agree to a postponement in our designation of Yost as Chargé. I said that Yost, in some other capacity than Chargé, and his assistants would proceed as soon as possible to Bangkok but that we would feel free a month from now to carry out [Page 1364] our stated intention of appointing Yost as Chargé and resuming diplomatic relations with Siam.9

Sir George thanked me and said that in view of what I told him Lord Halifax would not find it necessary to call Upon the Secretary in regard to this matter.

J[ohn] C[arter] V[incent]
  1. Marginal notation: “OK D[ean] A[cheson].↩
  2. Memorandum of October 25 by Mr. Vincent not printed.↩
  3. British Ambassador.↩
  4. In telegram 154, November 1, 8 p.m., to Colombo, the Department informed Mr. Yost that it had agreed to defer the official opening of a Legation at Bangkok, reserving the freedom, however, to designate him as Chargé a month hence, and directed him with staff of three to proceed promptly to Bangkok (124.92/10–2745). In a memorandum of conversation the same day the Chief of the Division of Southeast Asian Affairs stated that he had telephoned the Siamese Chargé (Bhakdi) that “Yost and several others were expected shortly to proceed to Bangkok; that this did not mean resumption of diplomatic relations, but that Mr. Yost would be there probably in his capacity as political adviser to General Terry”. (711.92/11–145) Maj. Gen. Thomas A. Terry became Commanding General, United States Forces in the India-Burma Theater on September 29.↩