412. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 11, 1960, 5:45 p.m.1
SUBJECT
- Law of the Sea Conference
PARTICIPANTS
- C. Douglas Dillon, Under Secretary of State
- A.D.P. Heeney, Ambassador of Canada
- Jim S. Nutt, First Secretary, Embassy of Canada
- Eric H. Hager, The Legal Adviser
Mr. Dillon advised Ambassador Heeney that Arthur Dean had told Mr. Hager by telephone from Geneva over the weekend that Ambassador Drew, Chairman of the Canadian Delegation at the Law of the Sea Conference, had given Dean his personal assurance that after the success of the joint US-Canadian proposal at the Conference, Canada would commence good faith negotiations with the United States looking toward a bilateral agreement with respect to United States fishing rights. Mr. Hager elaborated on his conversation with Mr. Dean. He said that Mr. Dean had advised him that the bilateral agreement would relate to an additional period after the 10-year period of the Conference formula.
Ambassador Heeney said that he had not seen anything about such a bilateral negotiation in any of the messages which they had received relating to the Conference. Mr. Dillon said that Mr. Dean was relying upon Ambassador Drew’s assurance, and not pressing any bilateral negotiations at this time, because both nations had all they could do to rally support for their joint proposal without taking time out to negotiate with each other. He said that the Department approved of Mr. Dean’s decision.
Mr. Dillon then advised that Mr. Dean had also told Mr. Hager that Ambassador Drew had given him his personal assurance that Canada would not, during the 10-year period, adversely affect or limit the rights of the fishing nations in the outer 6-mile zone by new regulations not previously imposed, such as rules limiting the right to fish to any area, or limiting the size of trawlers or gear or the types of nets, etc. Mr. Dillon said that Mr. Dean did not believe it desirable to spell these matters out by amendment to the joint US-Canadian proposal, since specification of these matters would foster debate and lose [Page 783] support for the proposal. He therefore felt that he should rely upon Ambassador Drew’s assurance in this regard, and the Department approved of his decision.
Mr. Dillon suggested that Ambassador Heeney convey the substance of this meeting to his Government and the Ambassador said that he would.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 399.731/4–1160. Official Use Only. Drafted and initialed by Hager and approved by Dillon on April 22. The conversation was held in Dillon’s office. A briefing memorandum for the meeting is ibid.↩