Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, General; the United Nations, Volume I, Part 2

800.014 Antarctic/4–1548: Telegram

The Ambassador in Chile (Bowers) to the Secretary of State

secret

Santiago, April 15, 1948—6 p. m.

250. Foreign Minister¹ called me to propose opportuneness of calling either (1) regional conference among Chile, US and Argentina which would exclude Great Britain on Antarctic as proposed by US for interested American republics in our memo to Chile dated January 10, 1940² and Foreign Office note 359, November 10, 1940³ when further action interrupted by war or (2) a conference of broader scope involving entire Antarctic Continent. He gave me confidential Foreign Office memo outlining Chilean proposal saying advisable reach at least partial solution before next Antarctic summer. He told me Argentina pressing Chile for conference but he first wished have US viewpoint before committing Chile. Foreign Office memo and covering despatch requesting instructions being forwarded.⁴

Sent Department 250; repeated Bogotá.

Bowers

1. German Vergara Donoso.
2. Presumably the note sent in pursuance of instructions of the Acting Secretary of State, August 8, 1939, Foreign Relations, 1939, vol. ii, p. 9.
3. The reference here is probably to the note of November 7, 1940, from the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Embassy in Chile, which is summarized in ibid., 1940, vol. ii, p. 336 and footnote 7 thereon.
4. The Chilean Foreign Ministry note of April 14, was transmitted to the Department as an enclosure to despatch 262, April 16, from Santiago, neither printed (800.014 Antarctic/4–1648).