OCEANOGRAPHY 1961 — PHASE 3 291 



Mr. Bauer, As far as your operational function is concerned, you 

 do operate the Baro Colorado installation as a field station? 



Dr. Carmichael. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Bauer. You also have the Smithsonian Astrophysical Labora- 

 tory? 



Dr. Carmichael Yes, sir. 



Mr. Bauer. Do you have any other field station connections ? For 

 example, I am thinking of organizations like the American Museum 

 of Natural History which has probably half a dozen field stations,, 

 like the Lerner Marine Laboratory, and so on. 



Are those the only two you operate ? 



Dr. Carmichael. Those are the two principal ones ; the astrophysi- 

 cal observatory does maintain, somewhat on a temporary basis, a num- 

 ber of observatories around the globe concerned with optical satellite 

 tracking. 



We also participate every year in many expeditions that go out to 

 different places and I may say a good many of them are paid for by 

 private foundations or by other governmental agencies. It has been 

 the custom of the Smithsonian since the earliest years to participate 

 in, and provide scientific advice for, expeditions that are mainly paid 

 for by some other organization. I think this thrifty custom has 

 certain advantages. 



Mr. Pelly. Would you yield ? 



Mr. Bauer. Yes. 



Mr. Pelly. I can testify as to that because, in my own family, my 

 grandfather, who was a Dr. Minor, after the Civil War at tlie in- 

 stance of the Smithsonian, was attached to the Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey boat that went up to Alaska and he collected material at very 

 little cost to your organization, and was able to contribute to the 

 scientific gathering of material for the Smithsonian Institution. 



Dr. Carmichael. May I make a comment ? 



Mr. Pelly. Yes. 



Dr. Carmichael. I think the record shows that probably if Smith- 

 sonian scientists had not gone on expeditions in accompanying the 

 telegraph company going to Alaska, then called Russia- America, the 

 Congress would not have considered that the resources of that strange 

 part of this continent were worth acquiring. 



This has been said in more than one book, and I think it is one 

 of the great stars in the crown of the Smithsonian, the fact that we 

 have Alaska, which is due in no small measure to the very elaborate 

 testimony on the natural resources of Alaska brought back by Smith- 

 sonian scientists. 



Mr. Pelly. I might say that I employed one of the stenographers 

 at the Institution at very little cost to make copies of all of the letters 

 in those early days. They make a fascinating record on collecting 

 of material and data, and I certainly know from my own experience 

 that there has been a very interesting scientific way of gathering 

 material at little cost. 



Dr. Carmichael. Thank you. 



Mr. Pelly. That is all. 



Mr. Bauer. Would it be of any assistance to enlarge your field 

 capability, or do you think you have enough authorization to enlarge 

 it, if you saw fit ? 



