developments detailed later in the report indicate that American in- 
dustry may well be poised on the edge of what could, during the next 
10 to 20 years, become a major, profitable advance into the marine 
environment. 
Strategic marine interests of the United States have both military 
and nonmilitary aspects. Whereas the military aspect is both long 
standing and relatively familiar, the nonmilitary aspect is less well 
known and stems primarily from two developments of quite recent 
times: 2 
1. The decreasing likelihood of a direct military confrontation be- 
tween the United States and a highly industrialized nation such as 
Russia over territorial disputes, due to the unacceptable risk of mutual 
nuclear annihilation. 
2. The increasing worldwide importance of more food, especially 
for underdeveloped nations, and the apparent possibility of a major 
breakdown of the world food economy within perhaps 20 years. 
The first development strongly suggests that where competition 
develops for the acquisition of ocean resources such as fish, minerals, 
or even the right of passage, such nonmilitary factors as prior presence 
cr continued use will in some contexts be decisive in determining the 
outcome. 
The second development indicates a potential value that transcends 
mere monetary considerations of marine food resources for underde- 
veloped nations. Food from the sea offers at least temporary and local 
relief from exhausting efforts to feed increasing populations. The 
United States interest in these efforts is not only humanitarian, but is 
also national because of the worldwide political and social stability 
expected asa consequence. The strategic importance of food resources 
suggests a new focus for part of the national program. 
These social, economic, and strategic marine interests interwoven 
and rapidly evolving in a context which includes similarly developing 
marine interests of other nations, seem to require establishment of a 
more comprehensive national program framework than is usually im- 
plied by the term, “oceanography,” or is contemplated by any single, 
existing agency’s missions. <A truly adequate national ocean program 
should have as its ultimate objective effective use of the sea by man 
for all the purposes to which we now put the terrestrial environment : 
commerce, industry, recreation, and settlement, as well as for knowl- 
edge and understanding. This objective implies four specific goals: 
1. Acquiring the ability to predict and ultimately to control phe- 
nomena affecting the safety and economy of seagoing activities. 
2. Undertaking measures required for fullest exploitation of re- 
sources represented by, in and under the sea. 
2 
