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prohibition; the world has been spared that danger, and nations
have avoided the tremendous expenditures of money and
resources which otherwise would have been devoted to develop such
technical capabilities.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty establishes a legal framework
which strongly encourages international cooperation in space
activities, and which provides for the widest practicable dis-
semination of information about and from space activities. The
general thrust of the development of international law in this area
has been to encourage opening and broadening exchanges of the
rapidly growing body of information about our common planet.

A development of immediate concern is current
experimentation with remote sensing of the natural
environment of the earth, including its natural resources.

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Efforts to impair universal dissemination of such data are
contrary to the Outer Space Treaty's provision that the exploration
and use of outer space should be carried out for the benefit and in
the interests of all countries. Indeed, the practical result of such
restrictions, intended or not, would be to concentrate such data
in the hands of a few space powers, to the exclusion of most other
countries.

Although the U.S. would not be harmed by such a change in
international practice, it would be a regrettable step backward
from the open, constructive, and widely beneficial system of
international cooperation which past development of international
law has encouraged.

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A potentially more difficult question is the use of space as a media for information. Extensive experiments are already under way in this area, experiments promising potentially vast benefits for our daily lives. Those conducted by the United States have been based on the principle of maximum open dissemination of the data we derive. We believe that, consistent with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the interests of the international community in general, and of the greatest number of states individually, are best served by universal access to information about our planet.

The Outer Space Committee of the United Nations has been attempting to develop principles to guide possible future international broadcasting of television signals directly from satellites into home receivers. This stems from the concern of some countries that such

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signals would not necessarily pass through government controlled

ground stations.

The United States is concerned about the preservation of

cultural integrity and the possible generation of political and

social unrest through misuse of such future technology. But we

strongly believe that the erection of more barriers against the

exchange of information and ideas is undesirable. The United

States does not plan any new or dramatic technological

initiatives in the direct satellite broadcasting field, but we

are prepared to work with others to search for solutions to

meet legitimate concerns about the potential hazards of new

communications techniques. At the same time we aspire to

enhance understanding and cooperation among states and peoples

through greater mutual exchanges.

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The exploration and use of outer space continue to provide dramatic opportunities not only for technical cooperation in space, but to expand our knowledge about our planet and our ability to deal with the problems we face here on earth.

Of the great issues which burden our world, the two most compelling of our time are peace and economic progress.

International law has an important role in each of these.

### 6-4. The Laws of War

One of the most challenging questions confronting international law is the age-old question of whether nations can be restrained in time of war. Historically, nations have found it desirable to observe certain rules, largely based on the concept of reciprocity, in their conduct of war--such as respect for the flag of truce, the parole and exchange of prisoners and the rights of neutrals.