10 MARINE SCIENCE 



Equally important to their knowledge of the oceans is their com- 

 plete awareness of what is now known about the oceans, and what is 

 yet to be developed and discovered by scientific research and surveys. 



That is what we are here to find out. To develop effective and 

 constructive legislation we must take inventory of not only the basic 

 facts about the oceans which are available to us, but of the gaps which 

 exist in that knowledge. 



We must appraise this knowledge of ours or absence of knowledge 

 in relation to our commerce, communications, prosperity, health, 

 climate, and national defense — yes, and in relation to the future peace 

 of the United States and the free world. 



We must determine our marine responsibilities and plan our course 

 of congressional action in the light of what other nations are doing 

 in the distinctive field of marine science, and particularly in the light 

 of what the hostile or unfriendly nations alined against us are doing 

 in the field. 



In an article in a recent issue of U.S. Naval Institute proceedings 

 a fighting officer of World War II and the Korean conflict, Capt. 

 Daniel J. Garrison, U.S. Navy, reports : 



The Soviet oceanographic research program far surpasses that of the free 

 world. 



Elsewhere he relates what we all know, that Russia has the world's 

 largest submarine force and what I am sure is not widely known, that 

 Red China ranks fourth in undersea power. These two nations share 

 most of the other side of the Pacific Ocean. 



Witnesses at today's hearing undoubtedly will tell us the relation 

 between marine scientific research and development and submarine 

 operation, and what it means also in terms of protection against and 

 detection of enemy submarines. 



Before the conclusion of these hearings, I think it will be amply 

 demonstrated that not only the United States, but the entire free 

 world has a vital stake in expanding our marine research. 



As I stated several weeks ago in a talk before the Franklin In- 

 stitute of Philadelphia, Russia's dominion over the oceans would give 

 her control of 95 percent of the earth's surface and imperil the remain- 

 ing 5 percent with ballistic missiles fired from submarines hovering 

 along the Continental Shelf. 



Control of the oceans would enable the Communist bloc to frag- 

 mentize the free world alliance, cut the lifelines to the United States, 

 and block the supply lines from the United States to our oversea 

 allies and bases. 



Soviet Russia then would have the power to terminate our assistance, 

 both niilitary and economic, to other contries at the whim of the 

 Kremlin, and to bully and blackmail the nations to which that aid 

 has gone. 



The Committee on Oceanography, members of which appear here 

 today, issued its first report over a year ago and has since issued eight 

 additional reports on special phases of the proposed program. Three 

 reports remain to be published. They are "Oceanographic Research 

 for Defense Applications," "History of Oceanography," and "Ocean- 

 wide Surveys." We will hear the substance of these forthcoming re- 

 ports at these hearings. 



