Test of “Antarctic spirit” predicted
The spirit of the Antarctic Treaty would be tested in the years ahead when attention was drawn to the fact that there was considerable wealth to be exploited in the Antarctic, the Minister of Science (Mr Talboys) said in Christchurch last evening.
Since the treaty, there had ben a period of challenging research, but soon man would be confronted with the results of this research, the Minister said.
Speaking at the annual Mid-Winter’s Day dinner organised by the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Antarctic Society, Mr Talboys referred to the role scientists had played in the Antarctic. GEOPHYSICAL YEAR
He said that if the transAntarctic expedition had
aroused the interest of New Zealand and the Commonwealth, it was equally true to say that the International Geophysical Year persuaded many governments to see the Antarctic in a new light. The I.G.Y. was probably the most outstanding example of international co-bperation in history, with scientists from 50 countries openly engaged in the study of man’s environment. Before the I.G.Y. had ended the scientists had seen the need to continue the work the year had begun, Mr Talboys said. “There can be no doubt that the effective co-opera-tion of the scientists persuaded governments to try again to find a political solution to the many territorial claims in the Antarctic.” LAND CLAIMS
Mr Taiboys said some laid claims, some made conflicting claims and two recognised none. Out of this came the Antarctic Treaty which was signed in 1959.
“So Antarctic scientists, and those who have supplied them, can claim something more than a scientific achievement; they can reasonably claim to have had a major role in determining the shape of the treaty,” he said.
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Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32639, 22 June 1971, Page 18
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286Test of “Antarctic spirit” predicted Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32639, 22 June 1971, Page 18
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