PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM IN OCEANOGRAPHY 33 



1. As far as can be determined the various agencies engaged in or 

 supporting research in the marine sciences generally appear to have 

 adequate legislative authority to continue or expand their programs 

 in this field. The substantive authority provided by the bill, there- 

 fore, would only broadly duplicate existing authority. Legislation to 

 provide additional authority which may be thought necessary by any 

 single agency should be considered in each instance on its own merits 

 (e.g., H.R. 6845 wdiich would give the Coast Guard more general 

 authority to engage in oceanographic activities). 



2. The provision of specific money authorizations and program di- 

 rectives in the bill tor the various agencies already engaged in oceano- 

 graphic research programs is so complex and detailed that it could 

 ciu-tail the flexibility which is needed to meet changing requirements 

 and circumstances in the future. It would also complicate the ad- 

 ministration of the program by the necessity for extra accounting 

 controls. Long-range plans are of course desirable to encourage and 

 guide the strengthening of oceanography. However, it is difficult to 

 determine now with any degree of precision w^hat the relative distribu- 

 tion and scope of efforts should be agencj^ by agency and program by 

 program over the long term. Continuing review and readjustment of 

 the national program are necessary to insure a well-balanced effort. 

 Such readjustment should not be dependent on changes in the law 

 as would be required if S. 901 were enacted. 



In connection with section 21(c), it is also considered to be undesir- 

 able to fix by statute the details cf budget-supporting material to be 

 submitted to the Congress. The Bureau is always willing to prepare 

 special analyses of the budget upon request of concerned, committees 

 of Congress, but it is better not to fix the specific nature of such 

 materials in law in order that reports may be responsive to current 

 needs. 



3. The establishment of a division of marine sciences in the National 

 Science Foundation with an accompanying interagency divisional 

 committee is considered undesirable in light of the general principle 

 enunciated in Hoover Commission reports and elsewhere that internal 

 agency organization should not be fixed in law, nor should functions 

 be vested by statute in subordinate agency units. Furthermore, the 

 arrangements proposed by the bill seem unnecessary to effect coordina- 

 tion and overall planning of Federal marine science policies and pro- 

 grams since an effective mechanism now exists to accomplish that 

 purpose, viz, the Interagency Committee on Oceanography (ICO) of 

 the Federal CouncU for Science and Technology. The Federal 

 Council, which is chaired by the Special Assistant to the President for 

 Science and Technology, provides an appropriate and effective locus for 

 this important responsibility, and facilitates the consideration of 

 oceanographic programs at the highest level of the executive branch. 

 This top level support was made clearly evident in the President's 

 letter of March 29, 1961, to the presiding officers of the Senate and 

 House, in which he recommended a $97 million national oceanographic 

 program for fiscal year 1962. 



4. The establishment of a division of marine sciences and an inter- 

 agency committee in the National Science Foundation are also con- 

 sidered undeshable as a pattern of organization. Since various 

 agency programs are necessarily related to this specialized mission 

 and operational requirements, it seems to us inappropriate to place 



