62 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



searching the current and wind effect on the drift of sludge oil unless 

 the enforcing agency could do something effective to prevent the dis- 

 charge of the oil even though the point of discharge was outside the 

 limits of the territorial waters of the United States. 



Before closing, I think I should mention the recent report of the 

 Committee on Oceanography of the National Academy of Sciences- 

 National Kesearch Council, of which I am sure this committee is quite 

 conversant. It is, as you are aware, a most comprehensive report, 

 and certainly anyone who is interested in the sea and maritime mat- 

 ters could not do less than applaud the objectives set out therein. I 

 would like to emphasize, however, that even the National Academy 

 recognized that such research as it set as the objective should be allied 

 to the agencies named in the report through the statutory responsi- 

 bilities of those agencies. 



For example, under "General Recommendations," they stated, in 

 paragraph 3, that — 



The United States should expand considerably its support of the allied marine 

 sciences, particularly in the areas of military defense, marine resources, and 

 marine radioactivity. 



They go on from that point and find that the Navy, in the interest 

 of national defense, should bear a considerable portion of the overall 

 costs, and I quote their language from paragraph 4 : 



The Navy should sponsor completely all military research and development 

 operations. 



They recognize, further, that in the matter of deep ocean surveys 

 the Coast and Geodetic Survey, which has a statutory responsibility 

 in this area, should contribute its share. They go further and say 

 that the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries should finance the greater 

 part of the recommended ocean resources program. They find that 

 the Atomic Energy Commission should finance the major part of the 

 program dealing with the problems of radioactive contaminations of 

 the ocean. 



I mention this to emphasize what I said at the earlier part of my 

 statement — that any research that the Coast Guard should recommend 

 must be properly contributive to the discharge of our statutory duties. 



With respect to the study conducted by the National Academy of 

 Sciences, the Coast Guard did not know that this study was going on, 

 nor were we consulted as to this particular report. Therefore, for 

 the Coast Guard to come before you now and suggest areas of responsi- 

 bility for research not already covered by this very exhaustive report 

 is almost presumptuous. This is not complacency on our part, but 

 I think that we must accept that the report of the Committee is ex- 

 haustive, very carefully thought out, and, as I have indicated, tied 

 to the specific statutory requirements of certain agencies of the Gov- 

 ernment. I would presume that the Committee was definitely aware 

 of the Coast Guard's activities, and, rightly or wrongly, discounted 

 any contril)ution that we might make. Certainly, insofar as the 

 report is concerned, we are only incorporated by indirection. 



In paragraph 4 1 find this statement : 



Other agencies should take responsibilities for certain aspects of the pro- 

 posed program, particularly the Public Health Service, the Geological Survey, 

 and the Hureau of Minos. 



