22 MARINE SCIENCE 



But a long and somewhat varied experience in both industry and 

 Government may warrant me in making a few observations as to the 

 present state of oceanography and the desirability of its expansion 

 and betterment. 



1. Oceanography has been a comparatively neglected branch of 

 science. 



2. It is of high and possibly supreme importance that oceanography 

 be expanded in effort and improved in quality at the most rapid prac- 

 tical rate short of a wasteful "crash program." 



3. The report of the NAS-NEC Committee provides a minimal 

 outline toward that goal. 



4. The cost, while considerable in dollars is a small percentage of 

 the expected values to be returned in scientific, commercial, and mili- 

 tary results. 



1. A comparatively neglected science : Until recently, at least until 

 World War II, the marine sciences were supported and studied in a 

 somewhat routine way by various small uncoordinated sections of the 

 Government and by several inadequately financed laboratories and 

 institutions. To a great extent, in spite of a considers^ble expansion of 

 support by the Navy, this is still the case. 



The Chairman. I might say right there, of course, that was the 

 problem in drafting legislation in this particular case. There were 

 many small activities going on at different places and it was an ad- 

 ministrative problem rather than a basic problem of the need for the 

 program. You have been in Government and you know what a prob- 

 lem this can become. 



We have no pride of authorship in this particular matter. We want 

 to get the program going. 



Mr. Pike. Perhaps at this time I better apologize to you, Mr. Chair- 

 man, if I seem to be stealing from your Franklin Institute address. 

 I can only give this excuse, that we must be thinking along the same 

 lines because I hadn't seen it until I had drafted this statement. 



Many of the ships, mostly unsatisfactory secondhand conversions 

 in the first place, are obsolescent and approaching unseaworthiness. 



To make up that deficit, we are going to have to have a full knowl- 

 edge in shipbuilding in the next 4 or 5 years that brings it right out» 

 To bring us up to where we should be now, it will mean a large ship- 

 building program in the first part of this decade. 



The shore installations are hard put to process and analyze even 

 the inadaquate data made available by the ships and from other sources. 



Manpower of adequate size and quality is difficult to recruit and 

 train. 



The young people are there but, in face of an uncertain and un- 

 , promising future, few of them are willing to devote themselves to the 

 unusually long and arduous preparation required for professional 

 competence in this branch of science. 



The Chairman". About the only school in existence is out in my 

 town of Seattle. 



Mr. Pike. I believe it is the only institution in the country that 

 gives advanced degrees in fisheries. 



Perhaps that will go at advertising rates. 



The second point : It is important that oceanography be expanded 

 in scope of effort and improved in quality of performance. 



