U.S. ‘Disturbed Partner’

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32351, 17 July 1970, Page 13

U.S. ‘Disturbed Partner’

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) BANGKOK, July 16. The Thai Foreign Minister (Mr Thanat Khoman) suggested yesterday that the United States was on the verge of a national mental break-down that has affected its reliability as an ally.

As a result "it seems relations between Thailand and the United States will evolve toward a more selective basis,” he said. Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce luncheon with the United States Ambassador (Mr Leonard Unger) in the audience, Mr Thanat said that current upheavals in American society made it “difficult for those working closely and loyally with the United States to expect a well reasoned and balanced reaction from tneir disturbed partner.” Mr Thanat, former Ambassador to the United States and architect of the military alliance, that allows large numbers of Americans to be

stationed in Thailand, declared that this feeling was shared “along the length and breadth of Asia.” His main theme was that Thailand had been nnjustifiably criticised by the

American press and liberal politicians for supporting the United States war effort in South Vietnam with troops and by granting air bases in Thailand. “One can say without hesitation that of all the countries in Asia and perhaps the world, which have cooperated with the United States, few have given so much in return for American generosity as the Thai Government and people,” he said. He said that the United States Government bad offered to defray the expenses of sending Thai troops to South Vietnam to “alleviate the burden that Thailand already had to bear.” He said that this agree-

ment had been misrepresented by politicians in Washington to mean that the United States had hired Thai mercenaries and offered Thailand a billion-dollar bribe to send troops to Vietnam.