OCEANOGRAPHY 1961— PHASE 3 217 



ownership — so us to be reasonably available where and when re- 

 quired. 



Both the interest and responsibility of the Government in t lie ocean- 

 ographic field has, over the years, been somewhat uncertain. The 

 interest fortunately is now well established, but the responsibility 

 unfortunately is not. The problem of fixing responsibility becomes 

 more urgent with the expanding scope of the program and the in- 

 creasing eagerness on the part of governmental agencies to extend 

 their participation in it. 



Three basic approaches to the problem of fixing responsibility may 

 be delineated for evaluation by this committee. The first and perhaps 

 easiest approach would be to continue present arrangements whereby 

 each of the numerous agencies participating in various phases of 

 oceanographic effort develops its own program for participation with 

 primary regard for its major agency objectives, none of wliich in- 

 clude oceanography as a basic program responsibility. 



At the other extreme, the national oceanographic effort may be 

 deemed a program of such overwhelming importance as to require 

 consolidation of effort in a national oceanographic agency. This 

 approach was followed with notable success in organizing our na- 

 tional space program. 



The third approach is the one contemplated in the proposed act: 

 to establish a policy coordinating council with responsibility for in- 

 tegrating the varied agency efforts into a balanced national program. 



There undoubtedly is strong sentiment among the participating 

 agencies to continue the status quo. Inertia is a m.ost powerful force 

 and long-established agency interests are best protected mider this 

 arrangement. No agency loses and each agency may hope to benefit 

 from the increased resources being invested in oceanography. But 

 whether this status quo arrangement is most conducive to an effective 

 national program is at best highly questionable. Certainly the prog- 

 ress achieved by these agencies over the many years they have var- 

 iously engaged in oceanographic pursuits has been far from satisfac- 

 tory, or the need today would not be so urgent. The greater public 

 emphasis on and the increased resources for oceanography will ac- 

 celerate oceanographic accomplishment in any event, but there would 

 remain the problem of effectively integrating these diverse efforts 

 into a truly national program without duplication or omission. 



The second or single-agency approach has many attractive fea- 

 tures, but would involve a radical change in agency structure. Over- 

 lapping jurisdictions and orderly assignment of priorities to all facets 

 of oceanographic effort are largely resolved when full responsibility 

 and authority are centralized in a single agency. There would be 

 one budget for oceanography presented for congressional review and 

 continuous analysis and adjustment of oceanographic operations in 

 terms of available or feasible resources, both very important advan- 

 tages. 



These benefits could be achieved either by establishing a new agency, 

 following the pattern of the National Aeronautics and Space Admin- 

 istration, or by reassigning all oceanographic functions, personnel, and 

 facilities to one of the existing agencies, following the pattern often 

 used in the military departments in consolidating overlapping and 

 duplicating responsibilities. A fully integrated massive oceanographic 



