143 



[Security deletion.] 



In this circumstance the Political Committee has begun its work by 

 handling the problem of outer space, which is not particularly con- 

 tentious this year, and may soon move to a preliminary discussion of 

 the Maltese item. 



Preliminary discussion would presumably include first an introduc- 

 tory statement by Ambassador Pardo in which he would lay out his 

 ideals in greater detail,^ and preliminary statements by other interested 

 countries that wanted to kind of set the tone for what will happen. 



Then under the present thinking, and I stress this is subject to 

 change, under the present thinking they would drop this item for the 

 time being and go on to other items — Korea, the nuclear free zone — 

 and come back to this at a later stage in the course of the Assembly, 

 maybe near the end of November. 



This is the tentative arrangement as it looks today. It is subject to 

 change. We did want to be sure before Ambassador Goldberg made 

 his first intervention that we gave you the thrust he might be taking 

 and consulted with you on it. 



You recall that we have long stressed the need for a good deal of 

 additional study before the United States could reach definitive con- 

 clusions on this broad subject. All of us in a sense are groping in an 

 area in which not much has been done. We are certainly unclear as to 

 the possibilities economically. We surely don't know as yet precisely 

 what the security implications are. There is so much work to be done 

 that it would clearly be a mistake to proceed to develop conclusions 

 at this time. 



So when Ambassador Goldberg rises to speak he will necessarily be 

 fairly general. [Security deletion.] 



I shall try to review briefly the main things we have in mind. 

 [Security deletion.] What I am about to discuss includes the main 

 points in our basic position for this Assembly session. 



I might say that first of all he will of course stress the need for care- 

 ful study and deliberate procedure to determine the proper legal and 

 political basis for activities on the ocean floor. He would suggest that 

 immediate action of a definitive nature would be premature, and he 

 would express a hope for international cooperation in further explora- 

 tion and research. 



We would suggest to him also that he point out how serious and 

 delicate it is to deal with the national security aspects of this problem 

 and how uncertain it is to try to deal with presum.ed economic benefits 

 and interests at a time when we don't know what they may be. 



The major specific proposal which we expect Ambassador Goldberg 

 might make would be to establish what we have called a Committee 

 on the Oceans, a Committee on the Oceans which would work on the 

 pattern of the outer space committee. 



[Security deletion.] 



It would serve as the focal point for all subsequent United Nations 

 General Assembly action on marine questions. 



This would mean that it would be such a committee which would 

 receive the report which you will recall the Secretary General of the 



1 See Appendix, p. 267, for text of Ambassador Pardo's statement. November 1. 1947, 

 in Committee I at the U.N. 



