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10/28/1947 - Bangkok, Siam and Arrival in China by A. Doak Barnett

ADB A Route Winling Shanghai China ctober Waiter So Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New N Yo Dear Ir Rogers Two months today I New York City Late yesterday afternoon I landed Lunghua Airfield outskirts Shang route circuitous which taken through extremely interesting places situations Before I volved program China final reper I writing letter therefore before I opportunity around Shanghai Since writing Batavia schedule follows On October Phil Talbo I Batavia Singapore Phil Bangkok while stayed until I henflew Bangkok where I remained unlil October From there I Hongkong after plane continued Shanghai I disappointed Ail Sai I unable French short notice I eager repor Indo China I ributed short visits Singapore Hongkong worthwhile Singapore particularly I interview number governmen officials talked freely about current issues problems developments there I confine letter report interviews impressions Bangkok where I longer period Siamese sometimes accused being congenital procrastinaters although I found activity fairly I being times insistent Io people I general picture polilical economic ditions andtrends addition detailed picture Chinese problem Siam present state Siamo Chinese relations noable governmental figures I talked included Nai Pridi anomyong Luang Pradit generally called Senior Stalesman widely recog nized dominated Siamese political period since rcvolulion claimed slill controls government behin scenes hough holds official rinCe onthiyawad Deputy iniser Foreign Affairs actig inistry while iniser abroad Luang Sukhum Director General Siamese Civil Service Commission Director Government Publicity Bureau Phra Noraraj Under Secretary Commerce One cresting official Siamese I alked rince Dhani President Siam Society former linister Educa I alked various menbers large influential Chinese community uding Li Tieh tseng Chinese Ambassador Siam Dumrong Chang Trakul prominent Bangkok businessman Wang Yuen Kuoi ntang Chinese ationalist Pary organization Siam The Americans I talked included Forward Stanon U S Ambassador Siam Alex cDonald Editor Bangkok Post Teg Grondahl U S Information Service Siam Walter Zimmerman Representative Inter national Commi Y C A Siam Dwight Bulkley political reporter UoSo Embassy Before discussing problems tensions evident Siam first I impressed relative sabiliy siuaZi contrast areas I visited When attempting analyse political ec0nomicconditions region sometimes magnify problems Io minimize elements normalcy sability reason I Siam neither struggling independence grappling difficulties establishing machinery gevernment respect unique among countries I Generally speaking problems confronting Siam appear critical urgen other countries there seems sable As I stted Chinese problem which interest particularly In essence problem arising several faclso Siam small relatively underpopulaed country close large densely populated neighbor China resulted large migratory population China Siam The Chinese immigrants highly successful economic competition Sisese assumed dominant position Siam business commercial Into situation element injected recent years namely growing nationalism Simnese Chinese development increasing friction between Siamese Chinese Siam between their spective governments Siam population under eight millions almost quarter which includes cultural valley forest covered region norlh rubber producing onealayan peninsula concept population density difficult apply anywhere involing consideration numbers people relation productive esources given arbitrary standard living scale which judge Nonetheless people I asserted Siam underpopu laled easily could wenly people without reduction average standard living There doubt Siam densely populated nearby areas China evident prosperity people Bangkok visible indication means leasl seclion Siaese population The people healthy energetic I situation which provides incentive Chinese emigrate Siam Immigration Cinese Siam going years accelerated during fifty years immediately after recent increased almost flood The Siamese governmen officials claim reliable numbers involved since because Chinese smuggled Sates given O00 period September 1945o This increasimg immigration geher certain factors which I mention Shortly Siamese government effect quota regulation limiling Chinese immigration aclmal Chinese community Siam point estimates depend definition nationality employed Cinese Ambassador about three million Chinese country estimate based Chinese which consider those Chinese parentage Chinese nationals Officials Siamese governmen Ia about million Chinese Simo This based Siamese nationali which embrace nationals Siamese Tais problem natiomaliy awkward situations disputes question however prominence those CInese blood economic Siam The Chinese businessmen buyers entrepreneurs Sellers lenders Siam exception other foreign enterprise limited Siamese enlerprise I their monopoly shops sores Bangkok hroughout country The Siamese freely compete commercially Chinese I guess because somewhat member government candidly explanation I observed similar situation Java Singapore economic predominance Chinese facto Wih growth Siamese national consciousness there evidently grown feeling Siamese nationals should ative nation economic This expressed itself restricting number economic aclivities Siamese nationals Al1ough restrictions exception regarding certain native handicrafts niello silverware buddha making removed encountered Considerable feeling Chinese nation commerce industry somehow shared Siamese greaer present relations Siamese Chinese I amicable according I discussed problem recent years certain chges vlumefigraion inechaterisicsdacviies Chinese minori enplaCe which plicaesiuaion Prince suarizedisasfollows We inese close We conslde edeChineseasbrokers Inepaseyce Si usually mriedSiesewmen dforemospwere assimilatedin Siamese sciey We always accepted completely matter facmy Siese leaders Chinese blood recen however assimilated oreoftennoweybringeir wives eyendmore olhemselves runeirownschoolS maintainasepat We peoples elose heserandscomplicateesiation Iheardmysimilsae meofemlessrestraineddtoler osofe peoplewiwhom Ialkedalsofeltateestablishmenoffor mdipl matic relation between ChinadSi fJuy23 hadinroduced adisrbing facrine ation Si Chinese bassador Consuls General dthreec nsUls whomeycdd presenteir grievces andheSiamesefellaeseCinesefficials eeinese peopie Sire conscious ofeir Chinese ideniles willing conform Siese assilaedino Siam sociay I found difficui judge wheer friclion prevalent between avere Chinesedsiamese citizens Bgkok which waseonly localiy I oppornity observe personally Immedialy afterewar severncidens occur which Yawarat Incident still issue setle aleasfmepoinOf ofeChinesebassador toldmeheinsistsaeSieseverentshouldgive reparaions Chinese affected However I could Chinese Siese living Side reasonable traditional friendiness people insisted seriousness Chinese problem agreed They explained friction mainly fairly level usually dramatic nature There number issues which ivolved officially unofficially One concerns application Siam immigration quota There considerable wrangling validity period determining period which first quota applied Another issue concerns regulation Chinese schools Siam Siamese government promulgated certain regulations regard carriculum Siamese language which hinese resent protest Sill another issue question whether Chinese Siam could presumably absenZee balio although never clear forhcoming electionsin China The Siamese vernment adaman oppsition apparently Chinese abandoned agitation point Occupational restrictions foreigners still issue sense Chinese Ambassador siders discrimination takes place despie restrictive removed books Opinions differ serious these issues I athred attAmerican Embassy rlations between Chinese Siamese every level become creasingly strained appreciable degree Siamo Chinese lations provide curren issues siation particularly concerned about At I might underestimating critical nature situation because variuos issues volved prominen conversations press before I I Same tentative conclus Tne concern generally expressed Chinese problem apparently based fuare worry present The Siamese I talked growth Chinese nationalismyleado increasing supportofSiam Chinese minority increasing intervention Siamese affairs Chinese government The Chinese I talked growth Siamese nationalism increasing strictions their varied economic activities Siam thegn educational other community functions At presen momen outsZanding issues apparently alive Chinese Siamese outstanding issues dispu between Siam China Deputy inister Foreign Affairs Zo Bu following Chinese Ambassador enumerated several issmeshich sttled negotiation various issues I mentioned fficially closed iamese gevern cncerned reopened Chinese There several Ons Siamese cGncern future Chinese policyo One finan remittances ChineSe Siam families friends organizations political paries Chima important elemen China balance payments No willing estimate these remittances anount those I alked including local Chinese assered larger before This source foreign exchange which Cina undoubtedly relin quish willingly Amother reason Chinese political rvalres extended beyond Ch borders enveloped Chinese community Siam I Communists Kuomintang roughly squal support among Chinese population Competing bitterly although fortunate 12the competition still verbal This cause concern among ianese I alked expressed fears political rivalries within Chinese community Siam might result extension China civil struggle Siam I informants Chinese participale Siamese political parties political activities except informally indirectly their economic interests slake But there among Siamese either their small country might become secondary poliical perhaps military China civil Siam inernal peace Order might Be disrupted rivalries within Chinese community intensifiedo feeling situation which critical present which bears close watching Several weeks before I Siam official organ ization called Southeast Asia League formed Bangkok It apgmblicity organi zation which plans propagandize deration Southeast Asia Todate published defined program existence organization indication interesting perhaps significant trend So epresentatives probably stretching point Nam Laos Cabodia Burma Indonesia Siam I know1streng organization support I following among Siamese students The Deputy Foreign inister however The government absolutely Connection influenced We haven considered Southeast Asia feder ation He added I why_you Americans interested anyway Evidently asked about others myself I think possible significance organization judged fficial attiude however A statement young minor civil servan might illustrate kindof thinki which could increased suppor organization Siam small country neighbors saido We peaceful country There doubt however Siam maintain herpeace freedom because between French British territory because willingness France Britain Siam buffer I looks though sometime future China India aCtivel compete paramoun influence Southeas Asia If caught middle Tha force other countries Southeast Asia federation protection He speculating others speculate Southeast Asia League develop importance While I Bangkok I heard gossip I hesitate respectable impending overthrow present government According stories circulating would Democratic Pary presen opposition party together certain royalist militarist groups successful would replace presen incumbents mainly Constitutio Cooper atiwe Parties In conversation Nai Pridi I altentive feared etaZo His strong demnation opposition might interpreted The Democratic Party complete misnomer title complelely false connotations The Democratic Pary really unscrupulous group Which would oppress people terrib power It rying overlhrow government means democratic Including force I asked Yes including force Alhough streets Bangkok appear peacefml placid therefore political circles A transient I difficult however penetrating surface glimmer politics intrigue level popular movement level I could convenien sopping point My letters tried cover ground I brevi considarationo Now I reached China where assignent however I digest observations longer little completely regurgitate aplomb For while I confine myself primarily reports activities rather premature analyses situation I hoping receive letter Shanghai Z I proceed general plans lined third leero addressor about weeks O R agill Winling Shanghai During following weeks address F D Schultheis UoSo Embassy Nanking I informed hereafero Sincerely yours Dak Barnet