16 
To my mind, Mr. Chairman, that makes the interest of the Congress 
in this matter clear. It is somewhat different from the role that Con- 
gress might play in offering unsolicited advice to the State Depart- 
ment on various aspects of our foreign policy. I want to make that dis- 
tinction very definite. 
PURPOSE IN SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 111 
Now, my brief resolution would sound at first blush to be somewhat 
contrary to the attitude of the distinguished Senator from Rhode 
Island, because my resolution says go slow, rather than go fast, but 
I don’t think actually there is a conflict between our attitudes. It is 
agreed that we must expedite our activities in opening up the secrets 
and the possibilities of oceanographic research and activities. 
May I add that certainly there could be no objection to the United 
Nations plowing the ground and preparing the way in this matter of 
jurisdiction over the riches of the sea. But the purpose of my resolu- 
tion is, in this particular field, to try to see to it that the Congress be- 
comes accessory before the fact and not after the fact, in any definite 
international agreement in regard to the future of development of the 
ocean bottom. Mr. Chairman, I think that is extremely important. 
Now, as to the form of my resolution, I would say very frankly to 
the committee, that the first draft of this resolution was prepared for 
me by representatives of the National Oceanographic Association. As 
far as I am concerned, this matter in my resolution of directing the 
American representatives in the United Nations to oppose action or to 
take any particular attitude, I think, might well be deleted. But I sin- 
cerely hope that the committee will consider, and I trust favorably 
report, a resolution which, in some way, reflects the attitude of the 
Congress, that while we are exerting every effort—and by “we,” I 
mean the Committees of the Congress and the President’s Commis- 
sion—to develop, organize, and speed up our oceanographic activities, 
we must not precipitously move into an agreement over jurisdiction 
without Congress being thoroughly appraised of the situation. 
I would add that the Commission on which Sentor Magnuson and 
I are serving is at this very moment giving careful study to the prob- 
lem of jurisdiction over the ocean bottom. I think that is an added 
reason to justify an expression—I don’t care how mild it is or how 
watered down it is—by the Congress that the Congress be informed 
we brought into any agreement placing jurisdiction in the hands of 
any body, international or otherwise. 
CONGRESSIONAL ADVICE TO THE EXECUTIVE 
This simply gives us elbowroom to do our job, and that is the whole 
purpose of my resolution. I am satisfied by the expressions of repre- 
sentatives of the Administration and of the State Department, that 
they agree to the extent that I am not suggesting that they would 
throw us into any hurried treaty or delegate to anybody in this matter 
hastily. But, I have been in Congress 21 years now. I know that the 
activities of our executive department have grown so large and are 
executed by such a myriad of public servants, that many times the 
right hand knoweth not what the left hand doeth. I simply feel, and 
