71 



ment in the research and observation necessary for the understanding 

 of land, air, and sea as a coupled system ? 



4. What roles should be assumed by local, State, interstate, national, 

 and international bodies in managing the use of offshore lands and 

 waters ? 



5. What can be done to direct the development of ocean resources 

 as a positive force for fruitful relations among nations, rather than a 

 continuing source of friction and conflict? 



6. What organizational changes and initiatives are necessary to 

 achieve our objectives? 



The Commission harbors no illusion that it can provide final answers 

 to these or to a multitude of other related questions. Indeed, the legis- 

 lation of 1966 as envisaged by the Congress was, I believe, only as a 

 first step, albeit a tremendous one. But we have proceeded far enough 

 to have confidence that over the coming months we shall succeed in 

 outlining the salient features of a comprehensive plan for the more 

 effective development of marine science and engineering, and I hope, 

 gentlemen, in recommending how the utilization of our resources can 

 best be managed. 



Mr. Chairman, that concludes my formal statement. I might supple- 

 ment it with a few very informal remarks. 



I can say to you first that I believe the Commission has made a 

 great deal of progress and that we are moving ahead on an enormous 

 task. 



A very important and fundamental part of that task is to come to 

 ■understand a great array of issues, to see the problem as a whole, and 

 to identify the connecting links between this aspect of governmental 

 activity and its counterpart in industry. Indeed, searching for a com- 

 prehensive view of the whole is our charge. 



We are asked in the legislation to present a national plan. I think 

 we all must be clear in our minds about what we really mean by a na- 

 tional plan. The Commission is interpreting that in broad terms. This 

 cannot be a master plan such as might be formulated by an authori- 

 tarian government. It must be a program or commitment, whatever 

 word you wish to use, which involves not only the Federal agencies and 

 the State agencies, but draws in and encourages our industrial and 

 academic institutions. We need to set goals, to make clear what must 

 be done and why. We must show what means there are to fulfill these 

 goals. 



We feel the Commisison has a special responsibility with respect 

 to the private sector, more so by the nature of things than by direction 

 ■of the legislation itself. This, too, represents an exceedingly difficult 

 and elusive problem. How do you mobilize private interests and sup- 

 port them ? There again, you see the great difference between the state 

 of affairs in this broad array of marine activities as against a well- 

 focused endeavor such as space or nuclear energy or computers. 



Then there is the matter of recommending an organizational plan. 

 "We recognize that there are many ways in which that could be nter- 

 preted. We would not presume to come to you with a complete state- 

 ment of how the Government is to be organized. We do hope we can 

 come with a clear indication of the consequences of the present ex- 

 tremely fragmented state of marine affairs, the need for coordination 

 and leadership, the relative merits of a concentration of authority and 

 :a decentralization of effort. 



