Evening star., 1941-08-07
Crucial ThuiIund

IHe SpOtl1ght is focused Om1nOuSly
/ on Thailand these days. That rela-
lively small yet strategically impor-
tant state is now the scene of an
intense diplomatic struggle between
Japan and Britain. Behind the
diplomats there is an explosive mus
tering of military and naval strength.
japanese forces continue to pour into
Indo- China and concentrate near
the Thai frontier, while just beyond
the Anglo-Th borders there is an
equally rapid deployment of British
troops in both Burma and Malaga.
The Japanese government still
disclaims any intention of pressing
Thailand for 'joint defense agree
ment" similar to that recently OBJ
tained from French Indo- China,
asserting that all it wants is close
economic cooperation wherein the
Thai currency would be linked to the
Japanese yen. But this economic
aim has already been practically
attained. Last week a joint economic
conference held in Bangkok, the
Thai capital, virtually made Thai
land part of the yen bloc. Hence
forth, Japan will be able to purchase
on favorable terms that country's
large output of rice, tin and rubber.
Furthermore, the Thai government
made a significant diplomatic geS-
ture by recognizing the Japanese
sponsored government of Manchukuo.
That was the same gesture made by
the French regime in Indo-China as
preliminary to submission to
japanese demands.
The attitude of studied modera-
ton voiced by japanese official
SpokeSmen is not echoed by the
Toxic press, which openly asserts
that Thailand, naturally part of
Japan's "co-prosperity sphere" )" must
be protected" like Indo-China from
Anglo-American "encirclement." And
Thailand is duly warned to pattern
her conduct on Indo-C -China's ex-
ample. That Thailand is under in
tense japanese pressure is unmis-
taxable.
Outwardly, the Thai government is
calm, and has made certain reaSsur-
ing moves, like the dispatch of troops
to the Indo- Chinese border and the
establishment of a tank headquar-
ters at Battambang, thirty-fve miles
from the Indo-China border. Yet
British observers who.know the coun-
try best doubt that Thailand can
stand up to japanese aggression.
japanese influence has permeated
the country in recent years and has
stimulated anti-European feeling
among the people. The Buddhist
priesthood is known to be strongly
anti-British, and most of the present
political leaders, including the Pre-
mier, are repeatedly pro-Japanese.
However, it becomes increasingly
likely that Britain will not stand by
and see Thailand overrun by Japan.
Anthony Eden, the British Foreign
Secretary, has just warned Japan
that such an attempt would, for
Britain, be a matter of very grave
concern. Indeed, judged by the
canons of diplomatic language, his
warning was so stiffly phrased that
it was pretty close to an ultimatum.
Britain appears to have sufficient
military strength to occupy the
isthmus of Kra and other parts of
Thailand which, in japanese hands,
would menace Burma and Malaga.
This would imply race between
British and Japanese troops to divide
the country between them. But such
a race would almost certainly spell
an armed clash which, in turn, would
precipitate formal war. The peace
of the Far East hangs by slender
thread today. And Thailand appears
to be the point where the issue of
peace or war will be put to the test.