§ 4.0 p.m.
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE MARQUESS OF READING)My Lords, may I, with leave of the House, intervene to make a brief statement on recent happenings in Antarctica? At the beginning of this month Her Majesty's Government were informed that Argentina and Chile had established naval parties on the airstrip adjoining the British base at Port Foster, Deception Island, which is British territory, and that permanent buildings had been erected. These encroachments represented not merely an infringement of our sovereignty on the Island, but a nuisance and an obstruction to those who were maintaining our base.
Instructions were accordingly given to the Acting Governor of the Falkland Islands to dismantle the buildings which had been erected and to arrest and deport under the Falkland Islands Aliens Ordinance any occupants found in them. These instructions were carried out on February 15, by the British magistrate, assisted by constables of the Falkland Islands police. The party travelled to Deception Island in Her Majesty's Frigate "Snipe," and Royal Marines were available, if needed, 610 in support of the civil power. Two occupants of the Argentine hut were arrested, without resistance, and the Argentine and Chilean huts were dismantled. The Chilean hut was unoccupied. The two arrested men were handed over at South Georgia on February 18 to the master of an Argentine vessel bound for Buenos Aires.
Her Majesty's Ambassadors at Buenos Aires and Santiago presented Notes on February 16, informing the two Governments of the action we have taken and protesting against the infringement of our sovereignty by the Argentine and Chilean parties. Replies were received on February 20, asserting the Argentine and Chilean claims to the territory, protesting against our action and calling upon us to restore the dismantled buildings and return the arrested men.
In taking the steps I have described, the Government have been concerned to dispel any doubt about their attitude to encroachments of this type on British territory At the same time they have repeated the offer made to both countries by the late Government to refer the conflicting claims to territory in the Antarctic to the International Court of Justice. I am sorry to say that both countries, in their Notes, have seen fit once more to reject this offer.
§ EARL JOWITTMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Marquess for making this statement. We all desire to maintain close and cordial friendship with Argentina and Chile. Indeed, the noble Marquess went out to these countries only recently to achieve that object. But I cannot think it right that anybody should, as it were, "jump the claim." The late Government made an offer to Argentina and Chile to refer the whole matter to international settlement. That obviously seems the right course and one which anybody can accept without any indignity or loss of prestige, and I am sorry to hear they have not accepted. I should like to ask whether they have given any reason for not accepting the offer to submit this matter to international settlement. It certainly seems very strange.
THE MARQUESS OF READINGNo, my Lords, no reason has been given. So far as I recollect the terms of the replies, they are a bare refusal to contemplate that particular form of procedure.
§ VISCOUNT SAMUELMy Lords, I feel little doubt that public opinion will support Her Majesty' Government in the action they have taken. Like the previous Government, they have offered to Argentina and Chile that the subject should be referred to the International Court of Justice and decided by them. That offer having been made and refused, the Government are on very firm ground in taking the action they have done. Indeed, I see no alternative, because otherwise we should experience greater infiltration into these remote and desolate islands until, after a time, it would be found that our rights, or what we claim to be our rights, would be lost by default. At any time this dispute, which we much regret, can be ended by its being dealt with in the manner in which all such international disputes should be settled—namely, by reference to courts of law. We greatly hope—for, as the noble and learned Earl has said, all of us have feelings of warm good will both for Argentina and for Chile—that they will agree to take the course which is incumbent upon all peace-loving nations in matters of dispute of this character.