273. Preliminary Notes on the Operations Coordinating Board Meeting, Washington, April 23, 19581
OCB LUNCHEON
[Here follows discussion of items 1–10: Soviet Visits, Euratom, Yemen, The Port of Damman, coordination of public statements, Australia and New Zealand, Wheelus Field, Iran, the Ryukyus, and the exhibition at Gorki Park.]
11. Antarctica
During a discussion of the Weekly Activity Report,2 General Cutler again asked to know the plans of State for publicizing a proposal that there be a conference to discuss joint administrative arrangements in Antarctica. Mr. Murphy said that a leak had occurred in Santiago and that Mr. Lincoln White, Press Officer, had answered press inquiries by emphasizing that the aide-mémoire of the U.S. looked to a continuation of post-IGY scientific cooperation in the area.3
A lengthy and lively discussion followed on the issues of: 1) whether the action of sending the aide-mémoire to the Soviet Union at the time was in line with the language of the policy statement or in violation of its spirit; and 2) when what [sic] action should be taken by the U.S. to publicize its initiative in seeking to assure peaceful use of [Page 502] the area for the benefit of all countries. Views expressed at previous meetings by General Cutler, Mr. Harr and Mr. Sprague were repeated to the effect that U.S. policy contemplated an invitation to the USSR to a conference only after general agreement to such invitation had been expressed by claimant and interested countries and not that the USSR would be asked for its views on holding a conference. The three members urged immediate publicity for the U.S. initiative after notification of the addressees of the aide-mémoire that such action would be taken.
Mr. Murphy said that formal replies to the aide-mémoire had been received from Japan, New Zealand, Union of South Africa, and Australia, and that informal contact with other nations (not including the USSR) indicated general agreement. Mr. Allen Dulles (CIA) added that the Chilean Ambassador thinks the U.S. proposal a fine idea but is not sure that his Government agrees.
General Cutler said it was more important to make a propaganda gain than to obtain an agreement on administrative arrangements. Mr. Murphy and Mr. Allen were of the opinion that the reverse was true. Mr. Allen added that he thought the chances of USSR agreement “very small”. If the U.S. is seeking primarily a propaganda gain then we are doing exactly what we charge the USSR with doing, namely, misuse of diplomatic intercourse for propaganda purposes only. While he thought we should give time to the addressees to answer he thought that “maybe the U.S. has now waited long enough”.
Mr. Harr, the Acting Chairman, in seeking to summarize the previous discussions of the item by the OCB, said that there was a “certain feeling that State protagonists sold the policy on one basis and executed it on another”. Mr. Murphy denied that this was the case and cited language of the policy paper to support his view.
- Source: Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text.↩
- Not printed. (Ibid.)↩
- Text of White’s statement to the press on April 22 was transmitted to the Embassies in the countries invited to the conference in telegram 1621 to Brussels (repeated to the others) on the same day. (Ibid., 702.022/4–2258)↩