§ 45. Mr. Usborneasked the Prime Minister whether he will propose to President Eisenhower and Marshal Bulganin that steps should be taken to declare Antarctica world territory under the sovereignty of the United Nations.
§ The Prime Minister (Sir Anthony Eden)No, Sir. Her Majesty's Government viewed with sympathy the United States proposals in 1948 for an eight-Power condominium, but these proposals enjoyed very little support. I doubt whether any fresh proposal to entrust Antarctica to the United Nations would have any better prospect of success.
§ Mr. UsborneWhile thanking the Prime Minister for that extremely frigid reply, may I ask whether he is aware that in fact the proposal I am now making is not that it should be a condominium of eight Powers, which I admit was proposed in 1948, but that the sovereignty of Antarctica should be vested in the United Nations? That is a different proposal. Does he not think it is worth while?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is a different proposal, but I think it is even more difficult, because the sovereignty of large areas of Antarctica, as the hon. Gentleman no doubt knows, is vested in a number of friendly Powers, including members of the Commonwealth and countries like Norway. It is not vested in the United States and Soviet Russia who are the two countries mentioned in this proposal. I do not think that the prospect would be awfully good.