Evening star., 1941-03-11
Thai-Indo-Chinese
Agreement Ending
Fight Is Signed
$4,000 Square Miles
Of Lond Reported
Yielded by French
Rv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
TOXIC, March 11.-Tbailand and
French Indo-China signed a Jap
anese-Sponsored peace agreement
today, ending their border dispute
and giving Thailand parts of Cam
bodia and LaSo embracing some of
Hndo-China's richest rice producing
areas.
Diplomatic circles expressed belief
Japan had received assurances that
she could purchase the total rice
crop and timber output in the ceded
areas. Japan is short in both prod
ucts.
1t was understood Thailand would
acquire some $4,000 square miles of
territory, which is somewhat short
of the concessions she claimed.
The agreement, signed in cere-
mony at the official residence Of
Japanese Premier Prince Fu1nimaro
Konoye, marked Japan's first sue
cesSful task of mediation under
taken in her proclaimed role of
leader of a sphere of influence in
Greater East Asia.
The pact provided for Boundary
Demarcation Committee to work out
details of a new frontier which
would return to Thailand the PAX
Lay district of Laos and one-fourth
Of Cambodia.
That represented some last
minute concessions by the French,
but fell short of Thailand's original
demand for approximately one-third
of all Laos and Cambodia provinces.
The men who signed the pact
after 40 days of conferences gave
little sign of their feelings none
smiled. The French representatives
were particularly stern-faced.
Approximately 40 representatives
of Indo-China, Thailand and Japan
and newspaper men were the only
witnesses to the brief austere cere-
nony in the premier's ballroom.
When the last signature was af-
fixed, Foreign Minister Yosuke Mat
suoka declared:
BY this signature, friendly rela-
tions between France and Thailand
have been restored, and a bond of
co-eXistence and co-proSperity be-
tween Japan on one side and those
two nations on the other has been
further cemented, thereby contrib
uting in some measure toward the
establishment of peace in Greater
East Asia and the world"
The Foreign Minister added:
This has been due to mutual con-
cession by France and Thailand,
which deeply understand the deter
mination and responsibility of the
mediating country Uapan)-a fact
10 be heartily congratulated upon
for the sake of mankind"
Provisions Listed.
A japanese communiQue on terms
of the agreement listed these pro-
visions:
/. France cedes to Thailand the
district around the town of PAX
Lay.
(This would return to Thailand |
part of the section on both sides
of the Mekong River which she
lost by treaty in 1904. France
would retain, however, much of
the Luang-Prabang section east
of the river and north of PAX
Lay which Thailand originally
demanded0
2. France cedes slice of Northern !
and Northwestern Cambodia.
exact limits of this strip were
not clear Immediately, but first
descriptions of the new boundary |
indicated it would run from the
present frontier northeast to the
norothern tip of Tonle-Sap-
Grand Lake-thence north for a
short distance, thence east to the
Mekong River in the vicinity of
the town of Stung -Treng. This
would give Thailand part of ter
ritory she lost in 1904 and 1907
the toWn of Battambang and,
perhaps, the famed ruins at
Angkor of civilization more
than 1000 years old)
8. A small area across the Mekong
River from Stung- would be
retained by Indo-China.
4. All these ceded territories be-
come denilitarized zones in which
French nationals and Indo- Chinese
natives will have full rights to 60
and come or keep their homes and
businesses.
Guarantees for warship.
8. Thailand guarantees to respect
and afford facilities for preserva-
ton of worship at mausoleums of
the royal house of Luang-Prabang
of Indo-China which lie across the
Mekong from the town of Luang-
Prabang in territory to go to Thai
land.
6. Where the Mekong marks the
frontier, the river channel shall be
the border, except that the islands
Of Khong and Khone above the
great rapids north of Stung- -Treng
shall be under Thai sovereignty, but
be administered jointly by France
and Thailand. Existing French es-
adjustments on the islands shall re-
main in French possession.
Apparently there was no provision
for giving Thailand a corridor north
to China such as had been suggested
by some French sources as an al
tentative to larger concessions in
Cambodia.
A long-standing dispute over the
frontier developed into outbreaks
along the border last September. BY
November patrol clashes had grown
into skirmiSheS by larger forces,
shelling of frontier positions and
aerial bambardment by both sides
In an undeclared war.
An armistice was called January
81 after Japan stepped forward as
mediator. Twice during the lengthy
negotiations on final terms the
arnnistice was extended, the last