430. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Special Assistant for Law of the Sea Matters (Richards) and the British Minister (Hood), Department of State, Washington, May 10, 19601
SUBJECT
- The Law of the Sea
Lord Hood called to present the attached paper.2 He observed that this represented a British proposal for a two-pronged approach to the question of the Law of the Sea. The first aspect of the approach is a proposed convention which would establish the joint US-Canadian proposal of six-plus-six with some sort of phase out as to the law of the sea on this subject. The second aspect would be a North Atlantic fishing pact which would attempt to settle all the special problems which were presently alive between the various fishing nations of this area. This fishing pact would be within the ambit of the proposed convention. Lord Hood said the British would welcome our views on this proposal.
Mr. Richards said that, of course, he could give only his own personal, initial reactions, but he thought it would be difficult to persuade our fishing people to adhere to a convention which would only be to their disadvantage. He also thought it would be difficult to get many of the nations which supported our proposal at Geneva to adhere to such a convention. He noted, parenthetically, that this could in effect weaken our legal position, for at present we can truthfully say that a clear majority of the nations of the world have signified their willingness to recognize six-plus-six as the legitimate law of the sea. It is quite possible that less than a majority would adhere to such a treaty. Mr. Richards said he would undertake to ascertain the US position on this matter and would inform the British later. In the meantime, he would inform Mr. Dean of this approach. Mr. Dean will be travelling to London over this week-end on personal business but while he is there he will have a meeting with Mr. Hare and perhaps they may wish to discuss this problem.3
Lord Hood said he wished to emphasize that the UK does not wish to play a lone hand in this matter. They would like the US and Canada to take the initiative in the matter of an over-all treaty. He noted that they have already sounded out Mr. Diefenbaker at the [Page 815] Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference.4 Mr. Diefenbaker was guarded in his response to these soundings, saying that this was, of course, a matter for the Canadian Cabinet to consider. As to the proposed fishing pact, the UK had talked informally with the Norwegians. The legal adviser of the Norwegian Foreign Office had privately agreed that there was a need for such a pact and thought the Norwegian Government would be sympathetic to any attempts in this direction. In response to a question, Lord Hood said that the British Government finds itself under pressure to make some sort of announcement in parliament which would indicate that the government was in consultation at least with Denmark, Norway and Iceland, on the question of fishing rights. The British Government finds itself pressed to make an early statement to such effect by the fact that a strike is called for May 15 at Grimsby. The masters of the fishing trawlers of this city wish the government to exclude the landing of Icelandic fish in the UK and further to assert the rights of the UK fishermen to fish within three miles of the Icelandic coast. The government is afraid that this strike will spread and is meeting with the masters on May 12 in an effort to dissuade them from striking. Lord Hood said the government felt that if they could make a statement indicating that they were entering into negotiations before this date it would be most helpful. Mr. Richards and Mr. Williamson both said that they doubted it would be possible to give the British any sort of answer by that time.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 399.731/5–1060. Secret. Drafted and initialed by Williamson.↩
- Not printed.↩
- On May 10 the Embassy in London reported that it had been approached by the British along similar lines. (Telegram 5399; Department of State, Central Files, 399.731/5–1060)↩
- Held May 3–13 at London.↩