155 



Ohviotisl--'- such ontiro -nersor-l independence vould ru-ove ivMoh 

 le-^s fertile nt '-n ocornogrrv}-±crl inctitute, because t^^c neccnsitY 

 of'^obtrininr t>o tpm dr.tn for the '-fin. i or occ"no£?:rnni-iic problems nt 

 so- from - bopt confines t^'O -.:ro-:ects th-t oonl.d he undort-^ken P-t 

 Pr^r one timo to nuch ns could ho provided for, lointl^^ hy tho str- 

 tion'R fleet. ^'Ms -no-ns th-t the p.ctivities, not only of the 

 stp.ff of t^-o institution, hnt of visiting iovostif<" tors ns well 

 nust so f"r ps m-, lor prohloms ' ro concerned, he directed. And 

 this 'would P.ppl-% in particul-r , to investicr tions involvin.^ the 

 svnth.^sis of\^-'r1ou3 divisions of science, whicli it shonld "'C the 

 special cim of the institution to foster. It is, therefore, essent- 

 1p] thnt the internc'.l organization i"-rovide for direction of tho stc- 

 tion nrogram, -nt once efficient, s-monthetic , and hro: d-minded. At 

 the s'lme'time it should alwavs encour-ge, and give every oonortun- 

 ity to ind-^vidual workers who might elect to attack, indeeondently , 

 anV problems the data for which conld he obtained fro-n pier or s^pH 

 boats . 



It must also be recognised t-at limitations of men, if not of 

 money, would alwn-s r.rovent any one institution fro^-^ ■ deauately ^ cov- 

 erinp''all phases of ocean science at one time: equallv that it is 

 im.nossible to foresee today wbr.t fields or general problems will be 

 the ones thr.t will seem the most nressinp- (and hence the ones to 

 -ttr>act students) some years hence. Consequently^ it is of prime 

 importance t>^-t tbe internal organization sVall be fluid enouf-h to 

 allow evolution, or even sudden alteration of tbe st- tion-program 

 from time to time, as circumsto^nces may dict-te. Basic though the 

 subiects mai- seem that "lost concern us toda-, such -s t^' e mpinten- 

 nnce of chemical fertility- and tv e dependence of plant growth there- 

 on the principles and the calcnl-tion of d-^,mamic circn] atioi- , the 

 factors t^-t control t^-e success of re-oroduction for fishes, or the 

 chemistr- of lime in the sea, we m-y be sure that the law of dimin- 

 ishinfj returns will presentl-.^ begin to operate in all of those sub- 

 iects- and in any others wa might mention. And 'v-e m.ay be e-nirlly 

 sure t^at with the passage of time the intellectual leaders of 

 oceanogranh-- will open new vistas--as yet ungucssed--which the in- 

 stitution' onaht e-gerl;^^ tofollo"', but which it can not follow if 

 it h'^s been orga-iized -round seleated svb.iects, or if its stp.ff has 

 crystalli7,ed into determ.ined fields. 



Thus a real problem must be f ■ ced in providing for a Director- 

 ate rigid enou(7h to carry out an effective program and to "orovide 

 direction both" -uthoritative and stimulating, but at the s'me time 

 loose enoup-h to insure the renuisite fluidity-. -/e believe that 

 these renuiroments can onl:r be met if ti-^e program of the i-istitntion 

 be built up around men and pro.iects, never around subjects. In our 

 opinion to divide the institution r 1 ong departmental lines world 

 in the long run be ruinous, even if It should apn-rentl- nrove fert- 

 ile in tbe'bep'inninp-. The ver-^- essence of a successfnl -institution 

 in tbis field is th-t It be so free t •-- 1 it can be domin-ted at one 

 time b-- one oh- se of the science, at another by another, as the 

 state of Ocean of^raxjhy at the time shall determine. 



