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Documents Relating to New Zealand's Participation in the Second World War 1939–45: Volume III

89 — The Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs to the Prime Minister of New Zealand

page 97

89
The Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs to the Prime Minister of New Zealand

6 December 1941

Circular telegram. japan.

My telegram [No. 87], paragraph 7, and my telegram [No. 88], paragraph 5.

The following further telegram dated 5 December has now been received from Lord Halifax:

‘Welles has just telephoned to say that the President has changed his mind and wished to suspend decision about conveying assurances to Thailand, in the sense of paragraph 7 of [No. 87], until he has decided about the message to the Emperor. He will discuss the question with me again when he has made up his mind about the Emperor. I am trying to see someone to whom I can point out the dangers of delay, both of the assurance to Thailand and of a communication in some form to the Japanese.

‘2. This is most annoying. Nevertheless, in view of the urgency of the situation revealed in recent Bangkok telegrams,1 I do not think you need hesitate about giving an assurance to Thailand on behalf of His Majesty's Government if you want to, since the United States attitude to a Japanese invasion of Thailand is, in my opinion, now sufficiently clear.’

1 Not published.