Office of the Historian

332. Memorandum of Discussion at the 328th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, June 26, 19571

Washington, June 26, 1957

[Here follows a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting.]

1. ANTARCTICA (NSC 5424/1; NSC 5528; NSC Actions Nos. 1500 and 1705; Memo for NSC from Mr. Cutler, subject: “Interim Report on Antarctica”, dated April 26, 1957; Progress Report, dated May 8, 1957, by OCB on NSC 5424/1;2NSC 5715;3 Memo for NSC from Executive Secretary, subject: “Antarctica”, dated June 21, 19572)

. . . . . . .

Mr. Cutler briefed the National Security Council very thoroughly on the high points in the draft statement of policy on the subject, and called attention to the map of Antarctica which had been distributed at the beginning of the meeting. (Copies of Mr. Cutler’s briefing note and the Antarctica map are filed in the minutes of the meeting.4) At the conclusion of his briefing, Mr. Cutler called on the Secretary of State to speak.

On this subject, Secretary Dulles insisted that he could see no necessity for spending any money that we don’t want to spend in the future to carry on scientific work in the Antarctic. The point was that we already have a sufficiently good basis for U.S. claims in the Antarctic. Mr. Cutler also pointed out that the Planning Board had contemplated the reduction of U.S. bases in the Antarctic at the end of the International Geophysical Year. The President expressed the view that the United States would probably not need any permanent stations in Antarctica after the termination of the IGY on December 31, 1958. Certainly, as the Secretary of State had said, we wouldn’t [Page 692] need very much in the way of permanent stations. Secretary Wilson, however, complained of the expenses that this policy would involve for the Defense Department, particularly in the light of the tight budgetary situation we were now facing. Mr. Brundage expressed the view that it was a very bad time for the United States to stake out claims in Antarctica. Mr. Cutler then quoted paragraph 19 of NSC 5715, to the effect that the United States was not to announce any claims until IGY considerations were no longer a major factor. At that time, after NSC review, the United States would announce the total definitive U.S. claim.

. . . . . . .

The National Security Council:5

a.
Discussed the draft statement of policy on the subject contained in NSC 5715, in the light of the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff transmitted by the reference memorandum of June 21, 1957.
b.
Adopted the statement of policy in NSC 5715, subject to the following amendments:
(1)
Paragraph 13: Delete the asterisk and the footnote relating thereto.
(2)
Paragraphs 16–19: Delete the asterisks preceding these paragraphs, and the footnotes relating thereto.
(3)
Paragraph 17: Delete the asterisk at the end of this paragraph, and the footnote relating thereto.
c.
Noted the President’s directive that the statement of policy on Antarctica, as amended and approved, be given a limited distribution on a strict need-to-know basis.
d.
Agreed that, in reducing U.S. Antarctic activities in the post-IGY period in accordance with paragraph 23 of NSC 5715, consideration should be given not only to reducing the number of U.S. stations in the area but also to substituting expeditions for permanent stations.

Note:NSC 5715, as amended, subsequently approved by the President and circulated as NSC 5715/1 for implementation by all appropriate Executive departments and agencies of the U.S. Government, and referred to the Operations Coordinating Board as the coordinating agency designated by the President.

[Here follows discussion of agenda items 2–5.]

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Series. Top Secret. Drafted by Gleason on June 27.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Not printed, but see infra.↩
  4. Not printed.↩
  5. Not further identified.↩
  6. Paragraphs a–d and the Note constitute NSC Action No. 1738. (Department of State, S/S-NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95)↩