that scientists still have a wide field of research ahead of them. 

 I would like to make two remarks : 



- The first one concerns the importance that what you call 

 Ocean Engineering begins to take. For twenty five years I have been 

 an oil prospector, and therefore I have known the beginning of off- 

 shore prospection. The oil prospectors at first behaved like lands- 

 men, that is that they cautiously began by erecting fixed drilling 

 platforms to keep their feet dry. Progressively, through advances 

 in Naval Hydrodynamics, their technique evolved, and did so with 



a striking rapidity if one recalls that only ten years ago the North 

 Sea had never been crossed by a geophysical ship. In these ten years, 

 through survey of currents and winds and study of seakeeping quali- 

 ties of platforms, all the difficulties were overcome, and this inte- 

 rior european sea has became one of the main sources of oil for 

 Europe, so much so that the supply from the North Sea would com- 

 pensate possible difficulties in the Middle East. This could be 

 obtained thanks to Naval Hydrodynamics. 



- The second remark I shall make concerns the importance 

 that you give to unconventional ships. It is a difficult problem for 

 the leaders of our Navies, to know at any time what are the tech- 

 niques to be applied to have better naval ships when needed. New 

 techniques are never sufficiently called upon to adapt the existing 

 material to the wars of to-morrow. 



Even if it is true - and I believe that this was said by an 

 American Admiral - that wars are won with outdated weaponry, a 

 certain balance has however to be kept. No doubt that the leaders of 

 our Navies have the final say in deciding what is needed for to- 

 morrow, but it is the aims of a Symposium such as this one, of 

 scientists such as you are, to give them the necessary elements to 

 define their policy. 



I would not like to be too long and delay your work any 

 further. I only want to thank Dr. Frosch, Assistant Secretary of the 

 Navy for Research and Development, and Mr. Ralph D. Cooper from 

 Office of Naval Research, whose presence here proves the great 

 interest taken by the American Authorities in your studies. 



In conclusion I wish you full success in your work as well 

 as a pleasant stay in Paris. 



Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen, for your attention. 



