144 EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY 



It is noted that a number of the Panel members are also members of other ICO 

 Panels and, in partici lar, the membership contains the Chairmen of the Research 

 Panel, Ships Panel, and Survey Panel. This membership was set up purposely 

 to allow the other Panels to feed the results of their work directly into this new 

 Panel. It is my hope as the Chairman of the Panel on International Programs, 

 that most of the Panel's work can be accomplished through the existing Panel 

 structure of the ICO, thereby making this a true forum to discuss international 

 programs. 



The first meeting of the Panel was on the 30th of January 1962, and since it has 

 been the only meeting to date, I would like to review the meeting in some detail 

 in order that you might see how the Panel operates. T will review the meeting 

 in terms of actions taken as a result of resolutions adopted by the Commission 

 at its Paris meeting. 



Resolution 1 requested that members submit to the Secretary of the Commission 

 their views on the establishment of advisory channels to the Commission in all 

 fields of oceanography, for consideration by the Commission at its second session. 

 In response to this resolution, the Panel requested the Chairman to write a letter 

 to Mr. McKernan and Dr. Revelle and suggest that they prepare a position paper 

 on this resolution that could be discussed by the Panel and other appropriate 

 groups in April and then be forwarded to the ICO for further consideration. This 

 letter has been sent. 



The next Commission resolution requiring action was No. 3, which requested 

 that members consider certain cooperative international oceanographic programs. 

 It was recommended that members initiating proposals for such programs should 

 convene working groups consisting of all interested members and bodies to explore 

 avenues of planning, coordination, and cooperation, to prepare specific programs, 

 and to take appropriate and early actions so that all aspects of oceanographic 

 study should be taken into account where possible, and all findings be fully pub- 

 lished upon completion of each program. With regard to this resolution, the 

 Panel felt strongly that the United States should take actions necessary to assume 

 leadership in international programs coming under the auspices of the Com- 

 mission. After examining several proposed programs for international coopera- 

 tion, the Panel decided the cooperative tropical Atlantic investigations was the 

 most desirable program to pursue at this time. Further, the Panel felt that the 

 United States should proceed with dispatch in organizing this investigation and 

 suggested a time schedule along the following lines: (1) February 26, call a 

 meeting on this program inviting all interested U.S. participants. As you have 

 already heard, this meeting was held this past Monday. (2) March 5, the Panel 

 on International Programs review the February 6 meeting and prepare a report 

 to be submitted to the joint National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Ocean- 

 ography (NASCO), Interagency Committee on Oceanography meeting scheduled 

 for March 15-16. (3) If program is approved by these groups, notify the Secre- 

 tary of the Commission of the U.S. plans and request the Secretary to determine 

 the interest of other member states of the Commission. (4) Finally, in accord- 

 ance with the Commission resolution, the United States, as initiating member, 

 would call a working group meeting of interested member states to develop the 

 program. It is possible that such a working group meeting might be called to 

 coincide with the Commission meeting during September of this year. 



Commission resolutions 4 and 10, respectively, commend to the members parti- 

 cipation in the International Indian Ocean Expedition, and suggest members 

 submit to the Secretariat the information on their existing declared national 

 and regional programs, plans of cruises of international interest and information 

 on berths available for scientists of other countries. The Panel agreed that 

 the U.S. participation in the International Indian Ocean Expedition should 

 be submitted to the Commission as a U.S. program of declared international 

 interest. Mr. Vetter, Executive Secretary of the Academy's Committee on 

 Oceanography was requested to prepare a statement of this participation that 

 could be reviewed by the Panel at its next meeting and forwarded to the Com- 

 mission via the ICO and State Department. In addition Commander Alexander, 

 Chairman of the Ships Panel, was assigned the responsibility for collecting the 

 cruise plans of U.S. research and survey ships in context with the ICO resolutions. 



Resolution 7 of the Commission requested members to provide the Secretariat 

 with full information annually on what fixed stations of various types are in 

 operation, what data are being gathered and at what intervals, and on plans of 

 future developments. It also recommended that members make more complete 

 use of weather ships. Action on this resolution by the Panel included a request 

 that the Panel Chairman contact Lt. Comdr. R. P. Dinsmore of the U.S. Coast 



