176 



Mr. Fascell. Which is reflected in the State Department position 

 in which the Department of the Interior now concurs? 



Dr. Cain. The Department of the Interior has a membership on 

 that committee and participated in the discussions which led up to 

 the time when a policy position was taken by the State Department. 



Mr. Fascell. We would like to inquire further on those matters 

 in executive session, Dr. Cain, if you can remain for a short time. 



Do you have any other questions at this time, Mr. Frelinghuysen ? 



Mr. Frelinghuysen. No. 



Mr. Fascell. Very well. The subcommittee will now proceed into 

 executive session. 



(Whereupon, at 11 :20 a.m., the subcommittee proceeded into execu- 

 tive session.) 



EXECUTIVE SESSION 



Mr. Fascell. The subcommittee will come to order. 



Dr. Cain, tell us what you can regarding our policy, where we 

 stand now, and where we are going ? 



First of all, I think we'd better be as explicit as possible as to what 

 you understand our policy to be. 



Dr. Cain. With respect to what? 



Mr. Fascell. With respect to this international question. 



Dr. Cain. That has come to a head because of the Malta proposal ? 



Mr. Fascell. Yes. 



STATEMENT OP DR. STANLEY A. CAIN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY 

 FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE AND PARKS, DEPARTMENT OF THE 

 INTERIOR 



Dr. Cain. I understand our policy — the position which we have 

 arrived at and which will be the position taken by_ Ambassador Gold- 

 berg and his people, that is to say the Federal position — to be that the 

 Malta proposal is not acceptable to us. It is premature. We do not 

 have the information to make safe decisions with respect to the ques- 

 tions that are raised by the Malta proposal. [Security deletion.] We 

 don't want to have to take any position with respect to some of these 

 questions.^ That, I think, is the first point that is clear. 



No nation, I think, likes to go before the General Assembly of the 

 United Nations in a strictly negative position, especially if the nega- 

 tive position for one reason or another would be unpopular. There- 

 fore you look for positive suggestions as alternates. 



In this case it is the proposal that the United Nations establish a 

 committee in the General Assembly — a Committee on the Oceans — 

 composed of proper number of nations [security deletion] to which 

 committee would be referred for study such questions as those which 

 have been raised by the Malta proposal. 



Having suggested a committee of the General Assembly to study the 

 Malta proposal, why shouldn't it do other things, too? [Security de- 

 letion.] We have suggested that a program of research iDe studied by 

 this same committee if such a committee is formed. 



Thus the committee would probably get into the planning problem 

 for coordinated international research. [Security deletion.] 



