NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 283 



advise and assist the President on major national programs and issues. 

 Among IT members there can be reasonable dispersion, and there is, 

 of expertise. But it cannot pretend to be expert on all topics, so that 

 as it becomes deeply interested in programs which it thinks are impor- 

 tant, the normal procedure has been to appoint a working panel of 

 people selected to bring appropriate expertise into the area of concern. 



Mr. Casey. Now, then the Interagency Committee on Ocean- 

 ography, how was that established? 



Dr. HoRNiG. The Interagency Committee on Oceanography was 

 established at about the same time as the Federal Council, because 

 oceanography was considered to be one of the very important areas 

 for coordination. That was in 1959. 



Mr. Casey. That was established by the Federal Council and it is 

 responsible to the Federal Council, is that right ? 



Dr. HoRNiG. It is responsible to the Federal Council, that is correct, 

 and its members are appointed by the agencies which are involved in 

 the oceanographic program. 



Mr. Casey. How many members of that Committee ? 



Dr. IToRNiG. There are nine members of the ICO. 



Mr. Casey. Nine members. Do they also serve on the Council, or 

 are these separate ? They serve on the Federal Council ? 



Dr. HoRNiG. No ; none of them are members of the Federal CounciL 



Mr. Casey. They are from nine different agencies, is that correct ? 



Dr. HoRNiG. Yes, sir — they are from Defense, Commerce, Interior, 

 Atomic Energy Commission, the National Science Foundation, the. 

 Treasury, Smithsonian Institution, and State. 



Mr. Casey. Are these same agencies represented on the Council ? 



Dr. HoRNiG. Substantially. There are some on the Council that 

 are not represented here. 



Mr. Casey. I understand that, because you only have nine members. 

 But I want to know if those nine agencies on the interagency com- 

 mittee are also represented on the Council. 



Dr. HoRNiG. Treasury has no member on the Council, nor does the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



Mr. Casey. This ICO being a creature of the Federal Council, da 

 they work independently or do they work on problem.s at the direction, 

 of the Council, or just what is their system ? Do they have a system ? 



Dr. HoRNiG. I would suggest that since I am being followed by 

 Secretary Morse, who is Chairman of the Council, he can describe its. 

 operation somewhat better than I can. 



Mr. Casey. I will wait for him then. 



Are you satisfied with the information you get from ICO ? Let me 

 ask you that. 



Dr. HoRNiG. I think the ICO has done an excellent job, particularly 

 in assembling information, in transferring information between 

 agencies, and in coordinating the programs of agencies. I might say,. 

 though, it has the problem which is inherent in all interagency com- 

 mittees, that it is very difficult for an interagency committee to develop 

 any strong critical faculty as regards the activities of any of its 

 members. 



Mr. Casey. Well, f ranklj^, is ICO nothing more or less than a review 

 committee and reporting committee to the Federal Comicil? They 

 cannot make any plans or formulate any programs, can they ? 



