Editorial Note
The British Government’s response to the proposals advanced by the Department of State in its aide-mémoire of June 25 and the draft agreement attached thereto (page 987) was set forth in a British Embassy aide-mémoire of July 3 to the Department of State, not printed. The British accepted in principle the United States initiative, but they indicated they would prefer an eight-power condominium because a United Nations trusteeship, as proposed by the United States, would give the Soviet Union an opportunity to interfere in Antarctic affairs. The British also objected to a United Nations trusteeship because it would involve and possibly distort those chapters of the U.N. Charter intended, to apply to inhabited and backward territories (800.014 Antarctic/7–348). In the light of the British comments and criticisms, the Department of State revised its draft agreement to provide for a condominium. For the text of the later draft, as circulated to various interested governments, see the enclosure to the Department’s aide-mémoire of August 9 to the Australian Embassy, page 996.