 The National Broadcasting Company at its affiliated stations present the Pacific story. This is the story of the Pacific. The drama of the millions of people who live around this greatest sea where the United States is now committed to a long-term policy of keeping the peace. This is the background story of the events in the Pacific and their meaning to us and to the generations to come. My land heads back on August 17th 1945 a solemn little Siamese with a business like air hurried through the corridors of radio Bangkok as the music played he beckoned to the Siamese announcer. This special proclamation of King Anand Mahidol has just come in. Read it over the air at once. From the king? Yes the king. Read it at once. Interrupt the program? Yes At once the announcer signaled the leader of the music. People of Siam we interrupt this program to bring you a special message from his majesty King Anand Mahidol. King Anand Mahidol proclaims that the declaration of war on the United States and Britain is null and void and not binding on the people of Siam. Our musical program will now be resumed. Snap that radio off. quite a what do you think of that? Nor will it anyway. Say the least country declares war and then when it finds it's on the wrong side proclaims that the declaration of war was illegal and therefore null and void. Yes hoping to escape the consequences of its actions. If it were only a matter of declaring war but almost directly after asking us for a non-aggression treaty. Siam picked the wrong horse. Siam did pick the wrong horse not the people of Siam at any rate not all of them but the ones who had seized power in Siam the Wang people Sangram and his henchmen people tried to make himself a little Hitler actually patterned his regime on the Nazis and even dictated that like Hitler he beheld. People of Siam, people of Siam, people of Siam. Against dictator people there were good men. Men like Luang protest Manutham. Four or six hundred years we have been a free people but we must oppose tyrants from within as well as tyrants from without. And there were other good men. Mom Rajawang, Sanny Promage, the Siamese minister to the United States who headed the free Thai movement and many others but by 1937 the day was growing dark for them. Luang protest. Yes. People have set a good will mission to Indochina. What can be the meaning of this? It is a smokescreen. For what? People is drawing Thailand closer and closer to Japan. Yes he is drawing us closer to Japan. He wants to be sure he has Japan on his side when he makes claim to the Indochina territories. People will not bring up that old claim for Cambodia and Laos. Will he? He will and he will also make claims for territories in Burma. He will take us into war against our neighbors. Unless we can stop him. How can any of us stop him now? People's good will missions came and went but the apprehension about people's intentions grew. It's not only people's growing repression of Tokyo. It's the anti-foreign legislation that he's dictating and that is being enacted by the Thai assembly. The French in Indochina were equally apprehensive. Why is Thailand that means so heavily? Why is she expanding her army under Navy? People must be planning to use it and against whom would he use it if not against our neighbors? After Hitler struck in Europe in 1939, people became more overt. Indochina across the Mekong River began to strengthen her defenses along the 1800 mile Thailand border and the British in Burma looked on. Watch people. It wasn't long before people was making his demands. First, minor ones. The problem of the islands in the Mekong must be settled with France and the Burmese frontier must be settled with Britain. France and Britain both knew more demands were coming but now France and Britain were at war, were fighting for their lives in Europe and Feeble was taking advantage of this situation by finally openly negotiating a treaty with Japan. Japan and Thailand mutually agree to respect each other's territory. Thailand and Japan agree to exchange information on matters of neutral interest. Japan and Thailand agree to refrain from assisting the aggressors if either is attacked. At almost the same time, Feeble asked Britain for a non-aggression pact. The treaty was negotiated and signed in June 1940. Just about the time of the fall of France, France was down. Feeble made his demands. The territory which is rightfully Thailand must be returned to Thailand. It was Hitler crying for the return of the Sudetenland. Only this was on the other side of the world and a Siamese tyrant crying for a slice of Indochina. They have violated our borders and mistreated our nation. Hitler again. Only this was in Siam. Feeble, having asked for and got a non-aggression pact with Britain, was assured that he would not be attacked in the west from Burma while he was putting the heat on Indochina in the east. Also, Feeble had made sure that Japan would not help Indochina. The treaty between them just signed, said so. And more than this, the Japanese were also putting pressure on Indochina. It's evident now that Feeble has even a closer understanding with the Japanese than we thought. How close, nobody knew. But it was becoming clearer. These border incidents are being provoked by Feeble. Yes, but with the Japanese urging Feeble on. But Luang Pro this, why then with Japan behind him, does Feeble not declare war on Indochina? Even Feeble suspects that the Japanese are using him for a cat's paw. Ultimately, the war between Thailand and Indochina broke out. And Japan, as she had planned, stepped in and mediated the war she had promoted. Thailand got a slice of Indochina. But it was not so much a victory for Thailand as it was for Japan. Thailand in a small way had triumphed over Indochina. But in a greater sense, Japan had triumphed over France. Feeble thought he was using Japan. Japan was using him. Still, Feeble was dictator. And what he said went in Thailand. But now the big year, the decisive year was rolling around. The Japanese forces were in Indochina next door. The United States was not yet at war. But it was alert to the threat to Thailand and to the strategic importance of Thailand. The United States will not tolerate an invasion of Thailand. The British took the same position. But now Hitler, on the other side of the world, had turned on Russia. The Nazis came to see Feeble. It should be observed at once, Luang people Zongram, that we have beaten Russia. Nazi representatives waited on Feeble. You know, of course, that our Panzer divisions are at the gates of Moscow. That Moscow is helpless. I have followed the campaign closely. The fall of Moscow is imminent. The Red Army may make Luang people Zongram. We can take Moscow whenever it suits our purpose. Oh, yes. It would therefore be to your distinct advantage to join the Axis now. And thereby assure your solitary relations with the Führer. Feeble was cagey. Something was in the wind. The eve of the constitutional fates. All Bangkok was blazing with electric lights. This was the night of December 7th, 1941. The people were rehearsing for the jubilee of the constitutional fates, which would be held the next day. Luang Proudhishman, Muhammad. Luang Proudhishman. What is it? Hey, you must come at once. The entire cabinet has been called. The cabinet? What is it? An important communication has come. And all the cabinet has been called to here. It is very urgent, Luang Proudhishman. Communication? What kind of communication? I only know that you must come at once, Luang Proudhishman. Very well. Then let us hurry. While this army's people laughed and danced in the streets of the glittering city, the members of the cabinet gathered, one by one. Luang Proudhish is here. Yes, where is Peeble Sangram? Luang Peeble Sangram cannot be located. Is he not at home or in his quarters? We have not been able to locate him. Has he left the capital? No one knows. Oh, gentlemen, this matter is urgent. It cannot be delayed. This was the Japanese minister. The premier Luang Peeble Sangram cannot be located. The premier is not here. The regret that it will be necessary to proceed without him. Proceed. Read the document. Yes. To the government of Thailand. A state of war exists between Japan and the United States and Great Britain. In view of these developments, Japan demands the right to send troops to Thailand. No. Let the minister of Japan finish. If the government of Thailand fails to comply within two hours, Japanese planes, which are at this moment eroded and ready to take off on air bases in Indochina, will bomb Bangkok. Gentlemen, you have two hours. You may reach me at my courthouse. Good night. You have my answer now. Japanese troops will not be sent through Thailand. Luang Proudhish Mandewudham speaks only for himself. I speak for the reasonable people of Thailand. I say that we will resist any Japanese effort to cross Thailand. How can we resist? The only one who can order troop movements is Luang Peeble Sangram. No. Peeble Sangram's strategy is clear. In the absence of the premier, I say we must take emergency action. Our troops on the frontier must be ordered to resist any Japanese effort to... You are out of order, Proudhish Mandewudham. The cabinet was predominantly pro-prebo. Proudhish was immediately put under surveillance. The Japanese struck. But the troops did not invade Thailand in the east, where Peeble had concentrated his troops. They came in from the south. The next morning, Peeble returned to Bangkok. Order cease firing. All resistance to the Japanese is to stop at once. On the same morning that the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor, Peeble submitted to the Japanese. Thailand became a Japanese base, from which to launch powerful blows of Malaya, Burma and South China. And almost spontaneously, leaflets appeared on trees and posts everywhere. Down with Peeble Sangram, the dictator. Peeble Sangram and his fascists have sold Thailand out to the Japanese. Down with Sangram. Unite people of Thailand against the Japanese aggressor. Resist the Japanese and dictator Peeble Sangram. The leaflets were torn from the trees and posts, gathered up from the wind-blown streets and brought to Peeble. Do you have any information about those responsible for this? It is the free Thai movement. The free Thai movement? Yes, apparently it is already well organized. Who are its organizers? At that, we have not yet been able to learn, but Pradhisthmandu Dharam is at least sympathetic with it, and may have a direct connection with it. He is under surveillance. You will remove him as minister of finance from the cabinet? Yes, sir. And you will arrest all suspects that have any connection with this free Thai movement? But the free Thai movement stretched far beyond where Peeble could reach it. Head of the movement was in Washington, D.C., Mam Rajawang Saini Pramaj, the Thai minister to the United States. With him in the movement were important members of his staff. And the head of the resistance movement in Thailand was Luang Pradhisthmanu Dharam. These were the resistors, not only of the Japanese, but also of the dictator Peeble and his fascist henchmen. Pradhisth was suspect, but the Japanese, seeing his popularity with the people, made him a member of the Regency Council to act the boy king Anand Mahidol. So Pradhisth walked free, watched though he was at every move. The free Thai movement spread, but not without violence. Where is it? Careful. There are spies for the Japanese everywhere. Oh, that one is no spy. He is a geologist. I saw him talking last week with one of the main advantage, Pannenand. And Pannenand is our worst collaborator. Pannenand is worse than a collaborator. He is a treacherous traitor. Come along. This way, and I will show you. Now, come back in here out of the way so no one can see us. Here it is. I will keep watch as you look at it. Who drew up these aims of the free Thai movement? I do not know. Read them. The free Thai is an organization whose main objective is to restore Thailand's independence. The Japanese army is the enemy of the Thais because the Japanese army invaded Thailand. The Bangkok government is a puppet government because it has collaborated with the enemy against the Thai people. Is that not right? Yes, yes. A constitutional government will be restored to Thailand after freedom is restored. That is what we want, is it not? Yes, yes. All political prisoners will be released and a people's court will be organized to try those who have cooperated with the enemy. What do you think of it? May I do it? May I do it? No, no, no, no. Don't put it in your pocket. I will take it for safety. Let me take it so I can show so much. No, no, give it to me. Stop, stop. Where are you going with that? Come back here. Give me that paper. Give me that paper. Let go of my throat. Your collaboration is... You traitor, I will choke a life out of you. You will never live, never, never. The movement spread and all people could do could not stop it. People then did not properly assess the potential power of the movement. For he had Japanese all around him in Bangkok and throughout Siam, and he felt strong. Have not the Japanese driven the Americans and the British out of Asia? Have they not driven American and British merchant shipping and war vessels from the seas, from the middle of the Pacific to the Bay of Bengal? People felt strong. He directed the Thailand declare war on the United States and Britain. The boundary. And he was the one who asked for a non-aggression treaty from Britain. Britain declared war on Thailand. The United States did not. From Thailand, the Japanese drove into Malaya and Burma. And for his duplicity, the Japanese promised people all the Sian states of Burma and several states in northern Malaya. But when prominent Burmese heard about this, they sent Burma to Tokyo to treat with Tojo. It must be remembered, General Tojo, that Burma is also an ally of Japan. We are all together. But Japan cannot hope to win the full cooperation of Burma if all the Sian states are taken from us and given to Thailand. Around people, some Graham claims the Sian states by ancient rights. The Sian states are, by right, part of Burma. It must be remembered, people was forced to join Japan. To take the Sian states from Burma would unnecessarily alienate my people to the common cause. If we have a common cause. The Sian states have not yet been given to Thailand, Mr Burma. And until the thing is done, it is not done. Can I return to Burma and assure my people that we will not lose the Sian states? You may assure them that they will not lose all of them. How many will you give to Thailand? Not more than two on the border. But Burma is fortunate, Mr Burma. Four of the states of northern Malaya will go to Thailand. People has earned a reward. People was the fair-haired boy in Southeast Asia. He settled down in 1942 after he had won slices of the territory of his neighbors and devoted himself to helping Japan win the war. When a flood roared through the central plain of Thailand and destroyed most of the rice crop, Japan sent help. 6,500 tons of relief supplies. The Japanese Thai alliance has paid off dividends. This people pointed out to his people. While our neighboring countries which have not been realistic are being ravished, we are being helped. Thailand is greater today than she has been for more than 600 years. The next year 1943 told Joe himself visited Thailand and brought precious gifts for the right ones. A tacit admission that there were others and there were. Those in the resistance movement under protest and they were getting stronger. More and more were arrested. But the ranks of the underground grew. Why do you wish to join? I must join. Peeble is a traitor. Yes. Peeble has betrayed Thailand. He says that Thailand is greater than for 600 years. But he is a puppet. Japan speaks through him. Yes. I will do whatever is asked of me. Without asking question? Yes, sir. Without trying to learn the identity of our leaders? Will we never know? Never. Nor will you ever be permitted to ask questions. Any questions. Nor tell what you find out. Not even to your own family. Not even to your closest friend. Not to anyone. I swear. You will come here tomorrow at the same time. You may go. The underground had members everywhere. Teachers, priests, nurses, clerks, maids, cab drivers. They rescued Americans who were survivors of the USS Houston. They helped allied men who had made their way into Thailand. They fed and kept them hidden. But few of the underground knew that Luang Pradist was their top leader in Thailand. Pradist kept in contact with the British and the Americans. The Americans, for purposes of security, gave the code name of Ruth to Pradist. And by 1944, the liaison between the underground and the allied forces was paying off. They are right on time. Look at them up there, the size of them. Those are the new American long-range bombers. They're getting closer. They will not hit here. We have given them detailed instructions of what to hit. Good. Good. Drive the rats out. Drive them out. People has already left. But his government is still here. We will drive it out of Bangkok. The government fled to Petchiboon, not far from Bangkok. The pressure against people never let up. It was climaxed for a broadcast picked up by monitors throughout the Pacific from Radio Tokyo. It was today announced in Bangkok that the government of Luang Pebao Sangram in the Thailand has resigned. Government of Taiwan has been instructed to form a new cabinet. Meantime, another change has been made in Thailand. Luang Pradist Manudham, or husband or member of the Regency Council, has been elevated to the head of the Regency Council Members of the underground had worked fairway up into the National Assembly and even into the cabinet. The day of people the dictator was done. But Thailand was still occupied by the Japanese. Thailand was still an ally and for all practical purposes a puppet of Japan. And Japan was still at war. People had sold the wind and was reaping the whirlwind. The people looked to Pradist. Pradist comes from the soil and rises to the sky. Thus the Siamese praised him. Pradist has held fast. And now it is the Japanese who are weak. By the summer of 1945 it was clear even to the most ardent followers of people that Thailand had made a mistake. The Americans had taken the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and were hammering Japan itself to pieces. British forces had joined the Americans in the Pacific and Japan was tottering. But the Japanese were in control. The atomic bomb blasted the last hope of the ones who had taken Thailand into war. Luang Govitt Abhoi Wong would been one of people's supporters and who, though he had had misgivings and had strung along with people and who when people was forced out became people's successors premier. Now Luang Govitt Abhoi Wong came with hat in hand to Pradist. And now at last it was Pradist's turn. Yes. In view of the momentous turn in events my entire cabinet and I respectfully submit our resignations to you as president of the Regency Council. I will convey your wish to the other members of the Regency Council. Good day to you, Luang Pradist Manu Dharam. Good day. Pradist who had never yielded to people not to his successor, nor to any of the opportunists who followed in the wake of the totalitarian regime was number one man in Thailand. He could not undo the damage of the war but he could do the next best thing and acting for the boy king this he did. And therefore King Ananda Mahidol proclaims that the declaration of war on the United States and Britain is null and void and not binding on the people of Siam. Britain sped forces into Thailand. The 7th Indian division went into Bangkok. I say Bangkok's been hit worse than I thought. I do say. No wonder the government cleared out. Look at that rubble. The king was also taken out but we've granted the request of the Siamese to permit the boy to return. Return? We're still at war with Siam. Right, you are. But all our commanders have been ordered not to treat Siam as a hostile nation. Then I suppose a military administration will be set up here. No. No? There's a military administration in Malaya and there's one in the Netherlands, India and there's one in Indochina. Well, the situation's different here in Siam. We're going to run the country. For the time being, the Siamese got it. Where Peeble, the little Hitler had strutted in Bangkok, the surrender was signed and the war of little Thailand against Britain officially came to an end. Under international usage, Britain was entitled to impose a treaty of peace upon Thailand, a treaty to ensure that Thailand could not or would be unwilling to make war again. But this Britain did not propose to do. Instead, she proposed another sort of treaty. The Siamese came to Singapore to talk business. The British had selected this site. The Siamese had asked for the last treaty. The British had asked for this one. Men, wise in the ways of the world, came to observe. That's Denning right there. Britain's representative, eh? Yes. He's political advisor to Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten. Mountbatten coming here? No. Denning will act for him. I see. And where's the Siamese delegate? At Prince Shale, I'm turning out of here somewhere. I understand he's secretary, AGV, the Siamese Finance Ministry. That'll give you some idea of what kind of conference this is going to be. Political and economic, as I see it. That's right. Oh, there's Prince Shale coming in now. My ass looks a little hurried. Doesn't have to be. Siam's been given a pretty fair shake considering what she did. And I look for her to get a fair shake here. It's to Britain's advantage. Yes, it is. Oh, look, there's Annie. MS Annie. He's here from India. Oh, yes. Uh, what about Australia? Well, from what I hear, Thailand's going to sign a separate treaty with Australia. Australia's represented here by Colonel H.A. Eastman. Oh, they're going in now. I guess they're ready to start. Thailand had upset the apple cart in Southeast Asia. And Britain, with Burma and Malaya direct the concerned. And India, just in the offing, was bent on putting things right. On the first day of 1946, the Treaty of Amity and Trade between the United Kingdom and Thailand was concluded. Siam guarantees the United Kingdom unimpaired trade interests in Siam. Siam will make available to the United Kingdom a maximum of 1,500,000 tons of rice. Siam guarantees British commercial airlines full operation rights in Siam. Siam agrees to the export of her stocks of surplus goods by recommendation of the combined boards in Washington. This was the gist of the Treaty of Amity and Trade. Dictator Peeble had guessed, and he had guessed wrong. Peeble had taken the people of Thailand down the short road to destruction. And now they were on the long, long road back. But while the future was not bright, it was not without hope. But Pradisth and the ones who followed him are now high in the councils of the ancient country. And they are working for the establishment of a new Siam. I've been listening to the Pacific story presented by the national broadcasting company and its affiliated independent stations to clarify events in the Pacific and to make understandable the cross currents of life in the Pacific Basin. For a reprint of this Pacific story program, send 10 cents in stamps or coin to University of California Press, Berkeley, California. May I repeat? For a reprint of this Pacific story program, send 10 cents in stamps or coin to University of California Press, Berkeley, California. It is written and directed by Arnold Marquess. The original musical score was composed and conducted by Thomas Paluso. Your narrator, Gain Whitman. Pacific story came to you from Hollywood. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.