- 33 -

here and dangerous. We have consistently resisted the

unilateral claims of other nations, and others will almost

certainly resist ours. Some will use our legislation to

assert extreme claims. The ability to negotiate the—

economic zone will be jeopardized. If every state

proclaims its own rules of law and seeks to impose them

on others, the very basis of international law will be

shaken, ultimately our own detriment.

We warmly welcome the recent statement by Prime
Minister Trudeau reaffirming the need for a solution
through the Law of the Sea Conference rather than
through unilateral action. He said "Canadians at large
should realize that we have very large stakes indeed in

- 34 -

the Law of the Sea Conference and we would be fools to give up those stakes by an action that would be purely a temporary, paper success."

That attitude will guide our actions. To conserve the fish and protect our fishing industry while the Law of the Sea Treaty is being negotiated, the United States will negotiate interim arrangements with other nations to conserve the fish stocks, to ensure their enforcement and to protect the livelihood of our coastal fishermen. We will support the efforts of other states, including our neighbors, to deal with these problems by similar agreements. We will consult fully with Congress, our States, the public, and foreign

- 35 -

[y]

governments on arrangements for implementing a 200-
agreement at conference,
mile zone by virtue of the Law of the Sea Treaty. If
such a Treaty cannot be negotiated within a reasonable
time we will be prepared -- reluctantly -- to consider
unilateral legislation.

unilateral legislation

But this would be a last resort. The world simply cannot afford to let the vital questions before the Law of the Sea Conference be answered by default. We are at one of those rare occasions when man has met not to solve a crisis that has occurred, or to deal with the aftermath of war, but to devise means of preventing conflict + slipping into destitution + suffering a slow but terminal decline in mental health. It is a test of vision and will, and of statesmanship. It must succeed. The United States is

- 36 -

resolved to help conclude the Conference in 1976 --

before the pressure of events and contention places

international consensus irretrievably beyond our grasp.

Outer Space and the Law of Nations

The oceans are not the only area in which technology
drives men in directions they not futures
faces man with problems imagined even two decades

ago and drives mankind towards solutions unprecedented

in history. No dimension of our modern experience is

more a source of wonder than the exploration of space.

Here, too, the extension of man's reach has come up

against national sensitivities and concerns for sovereignty.

Here too the potential for conflict is great but so is the

potential for law to anticipate and avert international

- 37 -

disputes. Here too we have an opportunity to substitute
law for power in the formative stage of an international
activity.

Space technologies are directly relevant to our
~~of all nations~~ well-being on earth. Earth sensing satellites, for
example, can dramatically help nations to assess their
resources and to develop ~~more wisely~~ their potential of
their land. In the Sahel region of Africa we have seen
demonstrated the tremendous potential of this technology
in helping to deal with natural disasters. The United
States has urged in the United Nations that the new
knowledge gained be made freely and widely available.

Advances in the use of satellites for broadcasting