OCEAN SCIENCES AND NATIONAL SECURITY 169 



a statutory base for coordination of oceanography by the National 

 Science Foundation. ^"^ 



The 86th Congi-ess is thus confronted with a number of issues; some 

 of these may be resolved during this session, but some are far broader 

 than oceanography alone. In this sense, oceanography may represent 

 the fu'st of what m.a.j be identified as special scientific and technical 

 fields that for one reason or another have been neglected in relation 

 to national needs for the future security and well-being of the countr}', 

 ultimately'' either for military or for nonmilitary application. Any 

 course of action taken for oceanograph}^ maj^ be regarded as some 

 sort of precedent, for with the exception of atomic energy and outer 

 space, the Congress has not recently taken legislative action concern- 

 ing one special field of science. 



'"» This bill was approved by the Senate on June 25, 1960 and referred to the House Committee on Mer- 

 chant Marine and Fisheries. 



