Thailand and Indo-China
The contagion of war spreads, and the country of Thailand (formerly Siam) is now in open hostilities with French Indo- China, and her armies are invading the territory east of the Mekong River. The collapse of France has left this Eastern dependency perilously isolated, with Japanese forces on the north, operating in China, demanding the use of her territory against the Chungking Government, and Thailand on the east reopening old territorial claims at the moment of her greatest embarrassment. It is some 47 years since Indo-China acquired the territory which Thailand claims to be hers on grounds of history, race and geography ; and Thailand, under its present totalitarian ruler, who has Imperialist ideas modelled on thosd. of Japan, is by no means the meek neighbour of fifty or even ten years ago: There is no doubt that Japan has been using her influence to induce Thailand to exploit the difficulties of Indo-China. Though there is not the least trace of any co- operation between the French authorities there and the British— rather the reverse—the present Japanese Government none the less regard all Europeans alike as obstacles to their " New Order " in the Far East, and welcome every opportunity to weaken them at any point. But Thailand is playing a dangerous game. Japan is not backing her for her own sake, and seeks the dominant position in the China Sea. When opportunity occurs she will no more respect the rights of Thailand than of China. Thailand is in danger of discovering that the gains she may make by attacking French territory will prove to be • mainly gains for Japan, whose battles she is now choosing to fight.
Previous page
