Office of the Historian

470. Memorandum From William H. Mills of the Office of International Economic and Social Affairs, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, to George M. Fennemore of That Office1

Washington, April 15, 1963.

SUBJECT

  • Antarctic Inspection

You will recall from your brief conversation with Ambassador Daniels that he continues to believe we should go ahead with picking a person to represent State on a selection board which will designate the persons to be named as inspectors in Antarctica.

Recalling your comment that planning should be more definite so we will know what sort of person to designate, I have listed below the criteria which the selection board will use. These criteria were agreed [Page 1063] upon tentatively at several meetings of Ambassador Daniels’ subgroup. Admittedly it is something less than firm written planning but I believe all the points will be in any written plan produced:

1.
The panel of inspectors, from which teams of 2, 3 or 4 will be chosen, will be about 20 persons.
2.
NASA, CIA, DOD, NSF, ACDA and State will be asked to submit names of qualified persons as candidates. Any other agency is welcome to submit names. Agencies submitting names are not limited to their own personnel.
3.
Persons not qualified are:
a.
Any individual who has served as an exchange scientist in Antarctica. This will prevent present exchange scientists from being viewed as potential inspectors.
b.
Any present member of the United States Naval Antarctic Support Force. It is believed that their inclusion might impair the friendly working relationship to personnel of other countries in Antarctica.
c.
Any present member of the United States Antarctic Research Program (the scientists). This is for the same reason as b above.
d.
Any person known to be connected with CIA.
4.
The selection board will consist of one member each from NASA, ACDA, State, DOD, NSF, and CIA.
5.
Inspectors chosen by the selection board will be appointed by ACDA. (Probably with some sort of written commission from the Secretary of State and the President).
6.
The 20 man panel of inspectors should possess the following qualifications:
a.
Fluent knowledge of Russian, Spanish and French.
b.
Knowledge and/or experience of Antarctica.
c.
Competence in some of the earth sciences studied in Antarctica.
d.
Competence in electronics, and space science and (probably) in the use of a camera.
e.
An affable, diplomatic personality.

As to the inspection itself, it is pretty firm that we plan to inspect by ship coastal bases between 180° and 90°E i.e. the French base Dumont D’Urville, the Australian-United States Wilkes base, and the Russian Mirnyy base. If logistics permit, this inspecting group might go on to the Australian Mawson base and Russia’s Molodezhnaya base.

Still tentative is a plan to inspect bases of Chile, Argentina and the U.K. in the Palmer Peninsula area. Whether or not we do depends upon political considerations—the nationalist sensitivity of Argentina and Chile. Logistics here is no problem since inspectors could get a “free ride” on a United States ship which plans to go there for scientific purposes.

[Page 1064]

Also being considered is the possibility of inspection of some bases by overflight. Bases which have so far been discussed for such inspection are Vostok, Sovetskaya and Komsomolskaya, all Russian.

This leaves a number of things still to be decided, but should be enough to permit designation of a State member for the selection board.

I suggest that we contact the Office of Personnel, explain the problem and ask them to produce about 15 or 20 individuals, each of them possessing one or more of the necessary qualifications, and each of them available for any six week period between November 1, 1963 and March 1, 1964.

This is a very big order indeed and needs corresponding justification.

The job of inspecting foreign bases in Antarctica is a very delicate one. A mistake in judgment could have serious adverse consequences for our presently cordial relations there. I believe that the only way we can discharge our responsibility with regard to Antarctica is by having representatives on any group undertaking inspection of foreign bases there and I also believe that any United States inspection team should not be predominately military because of the emphasis on peaceful activities only in the Antarctic Treaty. This might occur naturally simply because DOD has so many more people to draw upon, unless we are able to submit the 15 or 20 names I have suggested.

  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, IO Files: Lot 69 D 169, Antarctica Files, Inspection 1963. Confidential.↩