UNITED STATES POLICY WITH REGARD TO THE
                          ANTARCTIC.1
702.022/1-550
   Draft Declaration on Antarctica, Prepared by the Department
                             of State ,

                                           [WASHINGTON, undated.]

  Assembled in the city of              ,Messrs.              , duly
authorized representatives of the Governments of Argentina, Austra-
lia, Chile, United States of America, France, Norway, New Zealand
and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have
examined the Antarctic problem and having regard to the following
points:
  That in the Antarctic continent there still exist vast regions not yet
well explored or mapped;
  That the scientific data which may be obtained from the Antarctic
on meteorology, terrestrial magnetism, cosmic rays, geology, marine
biology et cetera, are or can be of great value for marine and air navi-
gation, in the use of telecommunications, the development of agri-...
culture and many other human activities;
  That it is the desire of the respective Governments to maintain close
and friendly relations and avoid any cause for international disagree-
ment, and that it is desirable, therefore, to prevent conflicts of sov-
ereignty or of any other kind from disturbing such friendly relations;
and
   That their Governments are engaged -in conversations and exchanges
of views looking toward an amicable, mutually satisfactory solution
of the territorial problem of Antarctica;
  Declare the following on behalf of their Governments:
  1. That they are disposed to consider and discuss suggestions for
methods of settling the territorial problem of Antarctica.

  'For previous documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. I, pp. 793
ff.
  'An earlier draft of this declaration was given to officers of the British
Em-
bassy on September 13, 1949. The draft printed here incorporated suggestions
made by the British on that earlier draft. For the text of that earlier draft
and
related materials, see ibid., p. 806.
  A copy of this draft was given to representatives of the British Embassy
on
January 11. Regarding the transmission of this draft to the Chilean Embassy,
see the memorandum of January 4 from Hulley to Mills, infra.
                                                            905