MARINE SCIENCE 189 
For the foregoing reasons, we believe that action on S. 901 would be unneces- 
sary at present. We wish to emphasize, however, our great interest in the 
subject of oceanography and our desire that this form of research proceed ef- 
ficiently and advantageously in the national interest. Four bureaus of this 
Department, our Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, our Bureau of Sport Fisheries 
and Wildlife, our Bureau of Mines, and the Geological Survey are directly con- 
cerned with the field of oceanography. We are prepared to contribute our share, 
to the extent that funds may be appropriated, toward accomplishment of the 
general objective of oceanographic research. 
The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection to the presen- 
tation of this report from the standpoint of the administration’s program. 
Sincerely yours, 
JOHN W. KELLY, 
Assistant Secretary of the Interior. 
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, 
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, 
Washington, D.C., April 27, 1961. 
Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, 
Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 
U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 
My Dear Senator Maenuson: This is in further reply to your recent request 
for the comments of the National Science Foundation on S. 901, the Marine 
Sciences and Research Act of 1961. 
We are in complete accord with the objective of S. 901 which is aimed at as- 
suring that the United States has a strong national oceanographic program. In 
this connection, as you know, the President, on March 29, 1961, transmitted to 
the Congress his recommendations with respect to the appropriation of funds for 
fiscal year 1962 to carry on the Federal effort in oceanography. The total amount 
requested for all Federal agencies is approximately $97.5 million. Of this 
amount, nearly $20 million is for the programs of the National Science Founda- 
tion. We believe that if the amounts requested by the President for the founda- 
tion for fiscal year 1962 for support of oceanographic research activities are pro- 
vided by the Congress, they will enable the Federal Government to continue to 
strengthen its oceanographic research activities in a sound manner. 
With respect to the National Science Foundation, in addition to authoriza- 
tion of appropriations, S. 901 would direct the establishment of a Division of 
Marine Sciences in the foundation, with a divisional committee consisting of 
representatives of various of the Federal agencies engaged in oceanographic re- 
search activities, together with six non-Federal scientists designated by the Na- 
tional Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. When the National 
Science Foundation was established, the Congress wisely provided for divisions 
concerned with general branches of science as, for example, the mathematical, 
physical, and engineering sciences and the biological and medical sciences. After 
eareful consideration of the matter, we have concluded that establishment of di- 
visions on the basis suggested in the bill would not be as sound an arrangement 
and could lead to distortion and overlap in administration. Then too, there 
would seem to be equally appropriate reasons for establishing other divisions in 
the foundation for particular scientific disciplines which could lead to further 
organizational difficulties. At present, the foundation is supporting oceano- 
graphie research activities through its existing divisions among which there is 
extremely close cooperation and coordination. To aid in carryng out these respon- 
sibilities, the foundation has a full-time oceanographer on its staff as well as a 
special consultant on a full-time basis in the field of biological oceanography. Our 
organizational arrangements for handling cross-disciplinary fields such as 
oceanography is a matter to which we are paying close attention, however, and we 
will not hesitate to change them as circumstances warrant. 
One of the primary objectives of S. 901 is to assure that there is a continuing 
national policy and program for carrying out the Nation’s oceanographic effort. 
Coordination of the activities of the Federal agencies in this area is presently the 
responsibility of the Federal Council for Science and Technology, whose Chairman 
is the Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. It is, of 
course, important, in the carrying out of the national program, that full informa- 
tion be available with respect to the status of the national effort, both public 
