67 



Mr. Popper. The committees will start to meet near the end of the 

 general debate. They will begin to meet in 2 or 3 weeks. 



Mr. Fascell. What month does that put us in? 



Mr. Popper. That puts you into mid-October. I would be rather 

 surprised if this were the first item on the agenda, especially if it goes 

 to the Political Committee. There are other things — Nonproliferation, 

 Korea, the Middle East. 



Mr. Fascell. There will be speeches for hometown consumption 

 Grst. 



Mr. Popper. To be very general about this, I would say that 

 November is probably the first month in which you would begin to get 

 detailed consideration. I may be wrong, but I don't think so. 



Mr. Fascell. The reason I say that is, if the United States is going 

 to have a specific proposal, the subcommittee would like to know what 

 that is. 



Mr. Popper. Yes. I am just pointing out that the action taken 

 could be procedural and general. We don't feel it is the time now to 

 close options. 



Mr. Gross. I find it interesting, Mr. Popper, that Switzerland 

 signed the convention dealing with the continental shelf. I don't 

 know whether you care to comment on that. 



Mr. Popper. That was one of, I think, for conventions that were 

 worked out with great pain and agony at the 1958 conference in 

 Geneva, where I was present. I was part of the U.S. delegation. There 

 was a convention that dealt with the rights of landlocked states, too, 

 so they had an interest, not in one convention, but in all, in a sense, 

 because, as you know, they have a merchant marine and some interest 

 in the oceans. 



Mr. Gross. Switzerland wanted to join in the agony, is that right? 



Mr. Popper. In their own interest. 



Mr. Fascell. Thank you, Mr. Popper. We appreciate the time that 

 you have given us, your advice and your statement. 



We have some additional statements for the record — one by our 

 colleague, the Honorable Alton Lennon of North Carolina; and others 

 by the Honorable Thomas N. Downing, Honorable Edward Garmatz; 

 Honorable Jack Edwards, Honorable Thomas M. Pelly and the 

 Honorable Don Fuqua. We also have letters directed to me from the 

 National Oceanograph Association, and the Chamber of Commerce 

 of the United States which will be placed in the record at this point. 



(The statements referred to follow:) 



Statement of Hon. Alton Lennon, a Representative in Congress from 

 THE State of North Carolina 



Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I appreciate the opportunity 

 to make a statement concerning H.J. Res. 822, the Resolution I introduced, and 

 related measures. 



As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oceanography, I am vitally interested 

 in all matters pertaining to the study and exploitation of the seas and the seabed. 

 That interest is shared by all members of the Subcommittee. 



Interest in oceanography and development of the resources of the marine 

 environment has grown with the implementation of P.L. 89-454, which provided 

 for the establishment of the National Council on Marine Resources and Engi- 

 neering Development and the Presidential Commission on Marine Science 

 Engineering and Resources. These bodies are studying and reviewing all significant 

 marine science activities to recommend a "national oceanographic program that 



