NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 43 
Mr. Rogers. In operating the Interagency Committee, what is your 
procedure in the settling of diversity of opinion ? 
Dr. Waxe.tin. Are you referring to the procedural methods we use? 
Mr. Rogers. Yes. 
Dr. Waxetin. May I go through and describe very briefly how we 
develop a given subject, how it gets to the Committee, and what hap- 
pens after that? 
Mr. Rocrrs. Yes. 
Dr. Waxketin. In the beginning of a plan, such as a budget plan, 
the agencies who are represented on the ICO suggest to the whole ICO 
plan for the succeeding year. This, then, is given to a given panel, 
either the research panel, instrumentation panel, or ships panel, for 
their detailed study. Then when these proposals have all been an- 
alyzed, and when the panel chairmen are ready to discuss this with 
the full Committee we meet to discuss the plan in general. 
In typical fashion, for example, in last year’s budget, the agency 
submitted a figure for oceanographic support of the order of $200 mil- 
lion. We reduced this in the ICO to $175 million before submitting 
the plan formally to the Federal Council. In the procedures leading 
up to this reduction, each of the steps that were taken in the full Com- 
mittee were taken more or less by vote. It was the sense of the Commit- 
tee if there were strong objections, that particular project or particular 
part of the plan was sent back to the panel for resolution of objec- 
tions that might have been made by one member or another. 
It is usually the case that any program which goes to the Federal 
ae has the unanimous support of the ICO before it leaves the 
ICO. 
Mr. Roczrs. It must have unanimous support? 
Dr. Waxettn. This is not a condition, but in general I think we 
try to resolve differences of all matters largely of scientific and tech- 
nical judgment by a sense of the Committee, and if someone on the 
Committee has a very firm feeling against it, it is usually sent back 
until it is resolved. 
Mr. Rocrrs. Suppose there is some diversity of opinion that is not 
resolved, but it is felt the project should be approved. Would you 
have the authority to say, we will submit it to the Federal Council ? 
Dr. Waxetin. I have taken that authority. 
Mr. Rogers. You have been able to do that? 
Dr. Waxriin. Yes. I think the Committee has supported me. 
For example, last year in the program several of us felt it was im- 
portant to put into our 1965 plan a project in connection with deep 
holes. Iam not talking about the Mohole, but getting samples in the 
ae oceans. This was a matter of considerable controversy in the 
Finally, I suggested that we should submit this, since it did not seem 
to have unanimous approval of all the members of the ICO, to the 
Federal Council and inform them this was a matter that I wished 
to call to their attention, and wished to get their approval on regard-. 
Ne of the fact there were several members who had adverse opinions 
about it. 
Mr. Rogers. You do not use a procedure of letting each depart- 
ment have a vote? 
