434 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



Although explored in only a superficial manner the deep sea bed is known to 

 have upon it vast resources of manganese, nickel, copper, iron, cobalt, molyb- 

 denum, vanadium, and some other minerals now used as essential ingredients 

 in industry and not overly abundant on land in commercial deposits. There is 

 suspicion of substantial pools of fossil fuels. Shipboard drilling techniques capa- 

 ble of operating in depths of water up to 2.000 fathoms have been developed 

 and actually successfully used in waters over 1,000 fathoms deep. Commercial- 

 style dredging techniques for the deep-sea environment are being developed. 



What is needed to get at and use these valuable deposits, and obtain sover- 

 eignty through occupation and use of these submerged lands in all depths, is 

 accelerated governmental support. 



6. The rapidly advancing sciences of meteorology and oceanography have 

 demonstrated cci^r-iusiv^ly in the last feAv year*; the irtimat'' eoupMng of air 

 weather and ocean weather, and the controlling nature of ocean climate (in the 

 upper ocean) on the land climate by reason of the fact that most of the energy 

 driving the winds of the lower atmosphere, and condensing and transporting 

 waiter from the ocean to the land, derives from the reservoir of solar heat in the 

 upper ocean. This realization was behind the recent Presi-dential Reorganiza- 

 tion Order No. 2 combining the Weather Bureau, Coast and Geodetic Survey, and 

 Central Radio Propagation Laboratory into the new Environmental Science 

 Services Administration last month. 



The ability to predict long- and short-range climate both over the land 

 and ocean and in the ocean is fundamental to the economy of the land and the 

 ability to occupy and use the ocean. We are far slior't of this ability, and it 

 cannot come without substantial increases in our knowledge and understanding 

 of the fluid ocean and the processes by which solar and other energy, as well as 

 water, is transformed and transported in the ocean, in the atmosphere, and 

 between the two. 



This enhanced knowledge and imderstanding of sea and air climate and 

 weather, and tlie ability to predict from it. is the single most necessary in- 

 gredient we require with which to speed up the occupation and use of the new 

 or^eanic environment. While the techniques for doing so are available this is 

 one service that private industry must depend upon the Government for, as in 

 all other environments, and the techniques are being developed and used by the 

 Government too slowly to allow the occupation and use of the ocean by U.S. 

 industry as rapidly as the strategic and diplomatic conditions require. 



7. Under present international law 70 percent of the area of the earth's surface, 

 the world ocean, is an international common owned equally by all nations. 

 This includes the fluid ocean of the high seas, deep sea bed, and the re.sources 

 contained in both. Aside from use of bottom resources as noted in (5) above, no 

 change can be affected in this regime of law except by force of arms (pro- 

 hibitively costly) or diplomatic effort. The history of diplomatic effort on this 

 question from 194.5 to 1960 indicates that all parts of the law of the sea are 

 intimately connected together and that great risk attends opening of one sector 

 of it for change, because another country may open anotlier sector for a change 

 inimical to U.S. welfare or even survival. The danger lies in the United States 

 having only one vote in these issues among 115, and other countries having 

 different aspirations and needs respecting the ocean than does the United States. 



Accordingly no change in existing international law should be sought through 

 diplomatic channels until a careful study of issues and probable pro and con 

 votes is made. Successful issue is more likely to arise from occupation and 

 actual use than any other factor and the posture of the United States is not 

 relatively good on these issues presently, whereas it could be much better in 10 

 years' time if ocean activities by the United States are improved with vigor. 



8. For reasons noted above almost all facets of ocean activity have a very high 

 international component. For instance a government can regulate the conduct of 

 its own citizens on the high seas but cannot regulate the conduct of citizens of 

 other sovereigns there except under international law (a right .seldom given) 

 or by international agreement between the sovereign's. 



Most institutions of international government (United Nations family, OAS, 

 European Economic Community), as with most institutions of national govern- 

 ments, have been developed to deal with land-oriented problems. As in our own 

 Government these institutions of land-oriented origin are veiy imperfectly suited 

 for dealing successfully with ocean-oriented problems. Accordingly the gov- 

 ernance of the high seas languishes while the problems multinly. 



The United States pays a larger share of the total expense of international 

 government than does any other country. It has been unable to beneficially co- 



