Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, General; The United Nations, Volume I

800.014 Antarctic/8–1447: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

secret

Washington , September 22, 1947—2 p.m.

4090. Dept hopes contents its A–865 Sept 8¹ have been brought to attention Brit FonOff. Embtel 5015 Sept 16.² Submission of Argentine Brit Chilean claims to court, if agreed to by those countries, could settle priority of rights as between those three countries but would not affect rights of other possible claimants.

Dept believes that pressing for settlement of partial issues is not urgent, will not be useful at present and that action should be delayed until agreement can be reached on manner of arriving at total Settlement.

Although not committed, Dept is currently studying desirability of some arrangement, possibly a special UN trusteeship which would remove Antarctic problem as a whole from area of international dispute, promote international scientific development and at same time safe-guard special interests of certain countries by giving them permanent control of trusteeship administration.

Please bring foregoing to attention of FonOff.

Lovett

1. Supra.
2. Not printed; it reported that the British Cabinet had before it a Foreign Office recommendation that Chile and Argentina be invited to submit their claims to British territory in Antarctica to adjudication before an international court (800.014 Antaretic/9–1647).