304. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Merchant) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy)1

SUBJECT

  • Background on Antarctica for Mr. Casey’s2 Call Wednesday,3 11:00 a.m.

Australia is one of seven countries which up to now have had claims or significant interests in Antarctica. She has one permanent station in the area of her claim (see attached map)4 and may soon establish another one.

United States policy, as established by the NSC in July 1954, and subsequently developed in the OCB, is to step up a program of exploration, mapping and scientific investigation, looking toward the formal assertion of a United States claim (which unlike other countries we have never yet made) and eventually to negotiations with other claimant countries to reconcile overlapping claims.

This general policy is for the present being implemented as part of our national contribution to the world-wide cooperative scientific enterprise known as “The International Geophysical Year”, to take place in 1957-58. This involves an enormous amount of preparation and planning in the geophysical sciences. Part of this is centered on the Antarctic and there are periodic meetings of scientists, headed up [Page 623] on our side by the National Science Foundation, to plan the details. One of these is now being held in Brussels.

We sent an expedition last year on the SS Atka to explore locations for future stations. Another expedition leaves November 1 for New Zealand and thence to Little America, where it will set up an air strip at McMurdo Sound and establish another station in Little America. Both of these are in the sector claimed by New Zealand. We shall in due course establish stations at Points 2 and 3 on the attached map.

The USSR, with little previous record of interest in Antarctica, has announced an ambitious program for participation in the IGY and there are natural fears that her interests are more than scientific. They propose a station on the Knox Coast in the Australian claim… .

In order to protect the Australian claim, Mr. Casey may refer to a recent announcement from our people in Brussels as to our plans for the Knox Coast and may say something to the effect that Australia would be glad to give us any cooperation we need in connection with our activities within her claim. This kind of statement would be within the customary relationship between us on the one hand, New Zealand and Australia on the other, each seeking to protect whatever claims it has. Our customary reply is to thank them but to point out that we cannot recognize their claim and that we must fully reserve all our own rights.

There has been a renewed interest on the part of other claimant countries as to our intentions, because at the time Admiral Dufek (Commander of our Antarctic expedition this fall) was given Rear Admiral rank by Act of Congress in June, 1955, the Committee report referred to a “governmental decision taken in July 1954” and to his expedition as being “to implement the governmental policy on Antarctica.”

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 031.1102/9–1355. Secret. Drafted by Outerbridge Horsey, Director of the Office of British Commonwealth and Northern European Affairs.
  2. Richard G. Casey, Australian Minister of External Affairs, visited the United States during September to attend the opening meetings of the Tenth Regular Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, which began on September 20. Casey held meetings with the principal officers of the Department of State on September 12 and 14.
  3. September 12.
  4. Not printed.