NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 299 



Mr. Lennox. By statute. 



I do not doubt your word at all, but I would like for counsel to check 

 that. 



So, that being so, there was a recognition on the part of Congress for 

 the necessity of the establishment, assuming it is a statutory creation 

 that there was a recognition in the past o years, I do not recall that 

 legislation, but I assume it is true, then there was a recognition of the 

 Department of Commerce and the executive branch of the Government 

 for the establishment in a central agency, like the Department of 

 Commerce, for the Office of Science and Technology, to accomplish — 

 at least for that Department to focus, if you please, of using the lan- 

 guage of the Assistant Secretary, to focus the needs in the fields of 

 science and technology that particularly related to oceanography. 



Were you here when he testified on the other day ? 



Dr. HoRNiG. Xo, sir ; I am sorry I was not able to be present. 



Mr. Lennon. It was most interesting and helpful to some of us, 

 and he described— if I recall — the areas in which oceanography could 

 be defined. 



He said he meant by that the description and prediction of the 

 physical properties of the agency. He said if other agencies could be 

 designated for the years to come, in the field, I believe, as has been 

 done in the field of meteorology ; undoubtedly in the field of geodetic 

 survey, that was probably the justification for the establislunent in the 

 Department of Commerce for that office. 



Since that office was established they have moved into the study of 

 the Continental Shelf, and his testimony was last week to the eifect 

 that a contract had been signed for that express purpose. 



Let us assume that the Congress had not, by statute, moved that 

 far ; then I think we would all have to wonder and somewhat doubt if 

 the Department of Commerce, through the Assistant Secretary for 

 that particular characterization, would have moved in the direction of 

 making a study of the Continental Shelf and its resources. 



I think you would find it very interesting to have him send you. 

 Doctor, since he is in a sense a counterpart, though not in the Office of 

 the President, and read his statement and we asked him some rather — 

 not sharp questions, but probing questions and sought his advice as to 

 whether or not by statute we ought to take these steps that he indi- 

 cated, and he conceded that there might be a need for them. 



I cannot put my finger on the exact language that he used but I 

 know that he referred to it specifically and categorically in his gen- 

 eral statement and then under questioning by the Chair he was rather 

 frank and it was refreshing to hear him say that there was a need 

 in Ms judgment for statutory legislation that would fix the focus of 

 attention on the two categories that he defined. 



Now let us talk about S. 944 just for a minute. 



It is my recollection from checking your testimony that you ap- 

 peared there on February 19 of this year. I believe it was before the 

 Committee on Commerce in the Senate, with the chairman of the fuU 

 committee presiding, the Senator from Washington, Senator 

 Magnuson. 



I notice that he made the statement before your testimony that he 

 had the vote and the Senate in his judgment would have no trouble 

 passing his bill, S. 944. 



