The investigation mentioned in the above letter as having been pro- 

 posed in H.R,5693, 82nd Congress, is referred to in Section 3 of that 

 bill, which reads as follows: 



"The Secretary of the Interior shall make a comprehensive 

 study of the long-range position of the domestic tuna industry and 

 recommend such measures as may be appropriate to promote necessary 

 adjustments so that the industry may achieve and maintain a sound 

 position in the domestic economy. In making his study the Secre- 

 tary of the Interior shall consult with other interested officers 

 and agencies of the Government and may seek information and advice 

 from any other source he deems appropriate. A report of his study 

 and recommendations shall be submitted to the Congress on or before 

 January 1,1953." 



A preliminary reply to the request contained in the above letter was 

 dispatched to the co-signers on July 23,1952. It read as follows: 



"I am glad that you and the five other Senators from the Pac- 

 ific Coast States believe there is a need for a full study of the 

 tuna industry and its current production and marketing problans. I 

 appreciate, also, the recogiition in your letter of July 5 that the 

 Department's Fish and Wildlife Service is the proper agency to in- 

 vestigate those phases of the problem vrtiich would not come within 

 the scope of the Tariff Commission's study. 



"A preliminary examination of the Service's future program 

 with respect to personnel and facilities required for such an in- 

 vestigation indicates that, in the absence of specific funds, it 

 can be made only by deferring some other phases of projects of con- 

 siderable interest to the fishing industry. In our opinion, however, 

 the seriousness of the situation confronting the tuna industry justi- 

 fies such a course. 



"A further, detailed review of the Service's original economics 

 program, as well as a conference with the Tariff Commission, will be 

 necessary before it will be possible to inform you more fully of the 

 scope of such a study and the date on which it can be completed. In- 

 formation in this regard will be forwarded to you before the end of 

 July." 



Sincerely yours, 



/s/ Mastin G.White 



Acting Secretary of the Interior. 



