98 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



Legal problems in the use of ocean and ocean bed resources raay 

 become more complex as activities in the field of oceanography in- 

 crease. However, we defer to the views of the Departments of State 

 and Interior on the extent to which these problems require special 

 attention. 



We have been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there 

 would be no objection to the submission of our report from the stand- 

 point of the administration's program. 

 Sincerely, 



Dean B. Lewis 

 (For Eobert E. Giles). 



Department of the Navy, 



Office of the Secretary, 

 Washington, D.C., June 3, 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 



My Dear Mr. Chairman: Your request for comment on H.R. 

 5175, a bill "Providing for a study of the legal problems of manage- 

 ment, use, and control of the natural resources of the oceans and ocean 

 beds," has been assigned to this Department by the Secretary of 

 Defense for the preparation of a report thereon expressing the views of 

 the Department of Defense. 



This bill would authorize the United States Coast Guard to conduct 

 a study of the legal problems arising out of the management, use, and 

 control of the natural resources of the ocean beds, by contract or 

 otherwise, and would appropriate $50,000 for this purpose. 



H.R. 5175 is identical to H.R. 11419, 88th Congress. It is similar 

 to H.R. 11232, 88th Congress, which would have authorized the same 

 study and appropriation, but would have empowered the National 

 Science Foundation to conduct the study. The Department of the 

 Navy, on behalf of the Department of Defense, supports the purposes 

 of H.R. 5175, but defers as to which agency is best qualified to 

 conduct the study. 



This report has been coordinated within the Department of Defense 



in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. 



The Bureau of the Budget advises that, from the standpoint of the 



Administration's program, there is no objection to the presentation of 



this report for the consideration of the committee. 



Sincerely yours, 



C. R. Kear, Jr., 

 Captain, U.S. Navy, Deputy Chief 



(For the Secretary of the Navy). 



Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 



April 6, 1965. 



Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 



House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 



Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter is in response to your request 

 of February 23, 1965, for a report on H.R. 5175, a biU providing for 



