MARINE SCIENCE 



WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1960 



U.S. Senate, 

 Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 



Washington, D.C. 



The committee met at 10 :55 a.m., in room 5110, Senate Office Build- 

 ing, the Honorable Warren G. Magnuson (chairman) presiding. 



The Chairman. The committee will come to order. 



I want first to apologize to the witnesses since we were late getting 

 in. The committee here usually meets at 10:30 so as a matter of 

 habit most of them get here then, but there is a little subcommittee 

 argument down below and they will all be along. 



Since we have so many fine witnesses, we want to get started. The 

 committee will consider S. 2692, the Marine Sciences and Research 

 Act of 1959. Without objection, S. 2692 will appear in the record 

 at this point. 



(S. 2692 is as follows:) 



[S. 2692, 86th Cong., 1st sess.] 



A BILL To advance the marine sciences, to establish a comprehensive ten-year program 

 of oceanographic research and surveys ; to promote commerce and navigation, to secure 

 the national defense ; to expand ocean resources ; to authorize the construction of 

 research and survey ships and facilities ; to assure systematic studies of effects of 

 radioactive materials in marine environments, to enhance the general welfare ; and for 

 other purposes 



Be it enacted, 'by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States 

 of America in Congress assembled, 



SHORT TITLE 



Section 1. This Act may be cited as the "Marine Sciences and Research Act 

 of 1959". 



declaration of policy 



Sec. 2. The Congress hereby declares that systematic, scientific studies and 

 surveys of the oceans and ocean floor, the collection, preparation and dissemi- 

 nation of comprehensive data regarding the physics, biology, chemistry and 

 geology of the seas, and the education and training of oceanographic scientists 

 through a sustained and effective fellowship program is vital to defense against 

 attack from the oceans and to the operation of our own surface and subsurface 

 naval forces with maximum efficiency, to the rehabilitation of our commercial 

 fisheries and utilization of other ocean resources, to the expansion of commerce 

 and navigation, and to the development of scientific knowledge since many 

 problems require an understanding of the waters which cover 71 per centum of 

 the earth's surface, life within these waters, and the interchange of energy and 

 matter between the sea and atmosphere. 



The Congress further declares that sound national policy requires that the 

 United States not be excelled in the fields of oceanographic research, basic, 

 military or applied, by any nation which may presently or in the future threaten 

 our general welfare, maritime commerce, security, access to and utilization of 



Note. — Professional staff member assigned to this hearing, Daniel B. Markel. 



1 



