Office of the Historian

436. Memorandum of a Conversation, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, September 20, 1960, 12–1 p.m.1

New York, September 20, 1960, 12–1 p.m.

SecDel/MC/6

PARTICIPANTS

  • US
  • Secretary Herter
  • Livingston T. Merchant
  • Foy D. Kohler
  • Canada
  • Howard Green, Minister of External Affairs
  • Arnold Heeney, Ambassador of Canada, Washington

SUBJECT

  • U.S.-Canadian Relations

[Here follows a general discussion of U.S.-Canadian relations.]

Mr. Green then went on to say that the Canadians were worried about the U.S. position on the law-of-the-sea. They did not understand why, after we had worked out a joint position with the Canadians, we now objected to conducting a canvas with a view to the conclusion of a convention embodying this position. The Secretary said that we had no objection to a Canadian canvass of views but that we were not willing to join in lobbying for a convention after the failure of the joint proposals in the recent conference. Mr. Merchant elaborated that our view was that a “bob-tail” convention would be so partial in nature that it would just firm up positions in opposition and not result in the establishment of any real international agreement on the subject of the law-of-the-sea. We felt in this situation that it was better to have no convention at all. Mr. Green said that the Canadians felt it was not realistic to try to hold to the three-mile limit. The Secretary then commented on the strength of the fisheries lobbies in the U.S. They had an emotional approach and were powerful out of all proportion to their value to the overall economy. Mr. Green repeated that he thought that all the principal maritime countries would sign up if the U.S. joined in the effort to obtain a convention, and the discussion of this subject terminated on that note. As the meeting ended, the Secretary expressed his appreciation for the frank exchange of views and said that he would be interested in having further discussions any time this week at the convenience of Mr. Green.

  1. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 599, CF 1766. Confidential. Drafted by Kohler and approved by S on September 23. Herter was in New York for the 15th session of the U.N. General Assembly.↩