Statement by the President Concerning the Antarctic Treaty

I am gratified that The Antarctic Treaty is being signed today in Washington by the representatives of 12 nations. This Treaty is the result of the arduous and painstaking efforts of many people who for two years have worked to achieve this agreement of great importance to the world.

The Conference on Antarctica was convened October 15, 1959, as a result of a United States note of invitation, dated May 2, 1958, to those nations which had participated in scientific research in Antarctica during the 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year.

The spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding, which the 12 nations and their delegations exhibited in drafting a Treaty of this importance, should be an inspiring example of what can be accomplished by international cooperation in the field of science and in the pursuit of peace.

This Treaty guarantees that a large area of the world will be used only for peaceful purposes, assured by a system of inspection. Antarctica will constitute a laboratory for cooperative scientific research in accordance with treaty provisions. The legal status quo there will be maintained for the duration of the Treaty. Nuclear explosions are prohibited pending general international agreement on the subject.

The Antarctic Treaty and the guarantees it embodies constitute a significant advance toward the goal of a peaceful world with justice.