800.014 Antarctic/3–448: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
747. Antarctic question was discussed with Brit Emb their request yesterday. We said our thinking is along lines of some form international control such as trusteeship under UN or condominium. We would appreciate sympathetic study of problem by Brit along this line and would welcome any Brit proposals. We plan approach other interested Govts along similar line this month believing this offers best means of forestalling embarrassing discussion Antarctica at Bogotá.
Brit reaction showed no departure from previous position of establishing national sovereignties in Antarctica by court decision and no disposition to survey possibility our proposals. Suggest this be discussed with FonOff stressing our belief that international control offers best solution though we are well aware problems which would [Page 966] have to be worked out. You may add that we share Brit anxiety to prevent awkward discussions at Bogotá.1
- In telegram 937, March 9, from London, not printed, Chargé Waldemar Gallman reported that he had discussed the Antarctica question with the British Foreign Office which was apparently willing to consider some sort of international control. British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin had finished the formulation of views on Antarctica within the Foreign Office. Once these views had been cleared with other parts of the British Government and with the governments of the Dominions, they would be transmitted to Washington (800.014 Antarctica/3–948).↩