26 OCEANOGRAPHY 



Mr. Wakelin, Right. 



With respect, first, to the military program, there has been a great 

 deal of emphasis put on oceanographic surveys and research in 

 augmentation of our fleet ballistic missile program. 



Secondly, we are interested in knowing much more about the en- 

 vironment of the oceans apart from specific questions that we would 

 like to have specific answers to now. 



We would like to know more about the transmission of sound in 

 the medium and the eliect of temperature and density and salinity 

 and variations thereof in such an environment. 



These are questions of ultimate military significance but do not 

 answer tomorrow a directly military question, so that we are inter- 

 ested in basic research that will lead to a better understanding of 

 the ocean as an environment in which we have to live in the Navy 

 in our submarine service. 



Thirdly, which is not directly the Xa\7'"s concern but is a national 

 concern, is the problem of the whole realm of fisheries and biology of 

 the sea. This, we think, we should know much more about in terms 

 of increasing the productivity of the oceans. Also the minerals and 

 materials not only on the bottom but contained in the sea water itself 

 are important raw materials for our use as a country. 



Mr. Bauer. I have one further question, Mr. Chairman. 



How about the instrumentation of oceanographic vessels? Is there 

 any plan for standardizing the instrumentation that you know of as 

 head of the departmental committee? We have been measuring cer- 

 tain areas of oceanographic information, if my information is correct^ 

 for some 20 yeai-s, and eventually came up with the Hydrographic 

 Office capability of waves f orcasting. 



Now, certainly, we have an ASW problem. Have we explored to 

 the fullest extent tlie question of instrumentation and are we prop- 

 erly budgeting and planning for it ? 



Mr. Wakelin. I think this is a very good point, Mr. Bauer. W^e 

 have not concerned ourselves as yet directly with the problem of in- 

 strumentation calibration and test but we believe this is a most im- 

 portant point and we are glad that it has been brought up. 



Mr. Bauer. Thank you, sir. 



Mr. Miller. Mr. Secretary, I want to express my appreciation to 

 you for the direct manner in which you have answered these ques- 

 tions. It shows that you certainly are cognizant of the subject. 



I cannot go into the technical details that you or Mr. Bauer or the 

 staif can talk about. W^e, sitting here, are not supposed to know too 

 much about those. The thing that concerns me and to which I wish 

 you would address yourself, and this is the only question I am going 

 to ask, is, whereas this must be a continuing study over a long period 

 of years, the fact is that if you compare it with the time that we have 

 been using the ocean since before the dawn of written history, our 

 knowledge of it is minuscule, I believe ; is that correct ? 



Mr. Wakelin. That is correct. 



Mr. Miller. Now we are trying to get this information. I appre- 

 ciate the overriding interest of the Navy in the national defense pic- 

 ture but you touched on the other two fields, the biology of the ocean, 

 the contents, the chemistry of the ocean, what is on the ocean floor. 

 Of course, we had hoped up until last week that the meeting which is 

 taking place now m Paris would be highly successful and I know we 



