298. Editorial Note
At his news conference on March 2, President Eisenhower was asked about the purpose of the United States exploration of the Antarctic during 1954–1955. The President replied that the U.S.S. Atka was operating in the Antarctic on a preliminary logistical operation in preparation for the scientific expedition that would be undertaken in connection with the International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958. A more detailed description of the purposes, range of activities, and mode of direction of the United States expedition, which was scheduled to arrive in the Antarctic in November 1955, was presented in a statement issued by the White House on March 28, 1955; for text, see Department of State Bulletin, April 18, 1955, page 644. In a statement issued to the press on June 1, 1955, the Department of State announced that in the interest of cooperation among nations active in scientific exploration in the Antarctic, the United States had invited the Governments of the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina to designate observers to accompany the United States preparatory Antarctic expedition scheduled to begin in the autumn of 1955.