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(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)
(THIS
SECRET
C.P. (55) 178
19th November, 1955
CABINET
COPY NO.
ANTARCTICA
Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
In July the Cabinet approved the five-year plan in C. P. (55) 79 for the expansion of our activities in the Antarctic (C. M. (55) 25th Conclusions, Minute 7).
2. A further decision is now required on our attitude towards Argentina and Chile in the Antarctic since we have failed to persuade them to accept arbitration over their claim. Public interest in the Antarctic is increasing, the southern winter is ending and a new season of activity is ahead of us. We are already being asked in Parliament what we intend to do about these trespassers.
3. The dispute with Argentina and Chile can no longer be treated in isolation, The International Geophysical Year has brought both the United States and Russia into the Antarctic in a large way, and that means that we must look at our problems there in rather a different light.
4. It seems clear that we shall lose more than we gain by trying to evict the trespassers by force. H. M. Ambassadors at Buenos Aires and Santiago consider that we could not do so without provoking a major upset in our relations with Argentina and Chile with a risk of serious retaliation from the Argentine navy. H. M. Ambassador at Washington considers that the use of force would provoke a hostile reaction in the United States. The Chiefs of Staff are also strongly opposed to it. They say that we should need to divert ships from other stations in order to protect our bases from reprisals and that this would not be justified by any strategic considerations.
5. I have considered an appeal to the Security Council as a possible alternative. But we cannot count on American support over such an issue, and there is little chance of obtaining any acceptable resolution in the Council without it.
6.
My conclusion is that we must accept the fact that Argentina and Chile have come to stay in the Antarctic and do our best to limit their encroachments in our sector until the time is ripe for the whole inter- national position in the Antarctic to be considered afresh by the Powers concerned. This means that we push ahead with our programme of expansion, and continue to serve protests on the Argentines and Chileans if they set up new bases, but take no further action against them unless they establish themselves within close range of wihage, 135ivities.
bases are otherwise deliberately provocative, or interfere with our activities.
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