Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-11-18
Siam Agrees 10 Return
$4,000 Square Miles
Coded by Vichy in Al
By NewboId Moves, Jr.

'SWSSsaabNoySSf Ss
Siam and France have completed
In Washington an agreement where
by Siam viii give back $4,000 square
miles Of territory acquired from
Indo-China before the Pearl Harbor
attack in a Japanese-sponsored
treaty with the vichy government.
The agreement re-establishes Dip
lomatic relations between the two
countries, ending a technical state
of war.
But Prince Wan waithayakon,
chief OF the Siamese delegation,
made plain at press conference
today that his government did not
regard the issue as closed.
He stressed that the agreement
provided that the long-standing
border dispute be submitted to a
commission of Cancellation, and he
indicated the Siamese would press
for consideration by this commission
of the status of about 100000 square
miles of territory which they were
forced to cede to France in a series
of treaties at the beginning Of the
century.
Four Provinces In Dispute.
1t was announced on October IA
that the Siamese were prepared to
give up the four disputed provinces
IN Laos and Cambodia which they
received under the 1941 agreement.
The agreement signed yesterday
merely formalizes the solution
reached earlier and morally COM
mitS both governments to abide by
decisions Of the Cancellation COM
mission, to be composed of repre-
sentatives of Siam and France and
three neutrals.
The signing procedure yesterday
on neutral territory" at the Will
lard Hotel brings to q close three
months of negotiation. Henri Bon
net, French Ambassador to the
United States. and william Georges
Picot. French Ambassador designate
to Venezuela, acted for France.
Prince Waithayakon, a second cous-
in of the King. was assisted by
Khuang Apaivongse, q member of
the Siamese House of Representa-
tives.
The disputed frontier territory has
been the scene of sporadic fighting
between Siamese and French forces
for many months. Last July Is,
Siam referred the dispute to the
United Nations Security Council.
French Changed Minds.
The French, however, proposed
that the two nations submit their
differences to the World Court at
The Hague. Siam accepted, and
Prince Waitayakon led a delegation
to Washington in early August to
discuss details.
He found that the French had
changed their mind and now wished
to enter into direct negotiations
with his government. /
1t was the negotiations then begun
which ended in the present settle
ment.
Siam has been trying to get its
border with Indo- China rectified
since as long ago as 1925. When the
war put an end to these negotiations,
OuPnAA llClPC0 OluAh SCS cClltC VA WLlhb
she wanted from Marshal Petainls
Vichy government .The treaty hya
which this was effected was never
recognized by Gen. De Gaulle's Free
French or by the postwar French
government, and the present settle.
merit washes out taatgtreaty and Iii
effect, commits the two parties to
resume negotiations where they left
of before the war.
Accords with U. 8. Views.
Yesterdays solution Is in line
with the views expressed by the
United States, and it is clear that
the attitude of the Americans and
the British has had much to do
with it.
Prince Waithayakon, who will act
as the Sianlese member of the con-
Citation commission, told reporters
his government believed that the
United States and Great Britain
should provide two of the neutral
members of the commission.