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Executive Office of the President, 

 Commission on Making Science, Engineering and Resources, 



Washington D.G., August 23, 1967. 

 Hon, Edward A. Garmatz, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representa- 

 tives, Washington, B.C. 

 Dear Mr. Chairman : This is in response to your request of July 25, 1967, for 

 the views of this Commission with respect to H.R. 11584, a bill to authorize the 

 Secretary of the Interior to study the most feasible and desirable means of es- 

 tablishing certain portions of the tidelands, Outer Continental Shelf, seaward 

 areas, and Great Lakes of the United States as marine sanctuaries and for other 

 pui-poses. 



The desirability of establishing marine sanctuaries is a matter which will most 

 probably be considered by the Commission on Marine Science, Engineering and 

 Resources, in connection with its responsibility for developing a plan for "an 

 adequate national marine science program which will meet present and future 

 needs." However, the Commission is unlikely to investigate in detail the most 

 feasible and desirable means for establishing these sanctuaries and has, at this 

 time, no views regarding the need for a moratorium on development of those 

 portions of the continental shelf under study as a possible marine sanctuary. 



The Bureau of the Budget advises that there is no objection to the submission 

 of this report from the standpoint of the Administration program. 

 Sincerely yours, 



Samuel A, Lawrence, 



Executive Director. 



Mr. K!eith. We have heard that President Johnson has tentatively 

 agreed to a scheme to turn over ownership and control of the entire 

 ocean floor of the earth to the United Nations. Presumably, the de- 

 velopment of new technologies to exploit the oceans' riches and the 

 development of new uses of the sea would rest in the hands of some 

 U.N. agency. 



In my view, this is a very sweeping decision which would preclude 

 the logical development of customary law relating to the oceans. It 

 could also preclude the healthy national competition which gives the 

 thrust to imaginative ways of reaping the harvest of the oceans' riches. 

 This scheme is as grandiose as the papal edict in 1500 which divided 

 the entire New World between Spain and Portugal — and it could 

 be just as shortsighted and unrealistic. 



Dr. Stratton, as an ocean scientist and an official charged with the 

 responsibility for developing a national marine science program for 

 the United States, do you feel that the approach we have heard about 

 is the proper one for our Nation ? 



Dr. Stratton. This is a matter which was discussed extensively at 

 the September 14 hearing and on which I understand Dr. Wenk, execu- 

 tive secretary of the National Council on Marine Resources and Engi- 

 neering Development, has commented further to your committee. From 

 Dr. Wenk's comments, I think it is clear that the administration be- 

 lieves that it is premature to consider the types of arrangements con- 

 templated in a treaty such as proposed by Malta, and that the entire 

 problem is one which requires much more careful study and consider- 

 ation than has been possible to date. This is a view with which I 

 heartily concur. 



Mr. Keith. Thank you, Dr. Stratton. 



No further questions, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Lennon. Thank you, Mr. Keith. 



Gentlemen, on August 17 Dr. Edward Wenk, the executive secretary 

 of the National Council of Marine Resources and Engineering De- 

 velopment, appeared before the committee, and at that time I asked 

 him to supply for the record the attendance of the Council's meetings 



