60 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 
gram. It has been a rather successful international effort. It may 
lead to additional successful efforts because I think it has reduced 
suspicion and so forth among many nations. It is pretty obvious to 
me that we cannot afford to do everything that needs to be done 
everywhere. If we can encourage other nations who are also interested 
in the sea for various purposes to carry on part of these particular 
studies, and then ailow us to examine their data, and if we are smart 
enough and sharp enough we will use this to our advantage, both for 
our national defense and, in my own case, for utilizing the resources 
of the sea and improving the standing of our commercial fishing 
industry. 
Mr. Casry. Do we have any national goal in oceanography such 
as we had in the space program ? 
Mr. McKernan. Yes; these have been generally spelled out, Mr. 
Casey, in our published programs. In our national oceanographic 
programs of various kinds, we have rather clearly spelled out the goals 
of our country in oceanography. 
Mr. Casry. Do we have any of the kind of thing that has caught 
the public fancy, such as the space program has? As you well know, 
the space program could not begin to get the support it now has unless 
it caught the public fancy as it did with its boldness in new explora- 
tion and adventure as well as the defense aspects and the scientific 
aspects. Ofcourse, NASA is supposed to be purely a peacetime effort, 
purely for scientific knowledge and to broaden man’s horizon, but by 
the same token we all know it has a very definite place in defense. 
Of course, the Defense Department is in this to a great extent and 
the manned orbital laboratory is going to be a defense project or a 
NASA project. 
Mr. McKernan. We think the objectives in oceanography are the 
most exciting objectives in any of the fields in which our Government 
is carrying out research and development. 
We put this in various forms in our publications on oceanography, 
such as the long-range oceanographic program from 1963 to 1972. 
This, briefly stated, is the national goal: to comprehend the world 
ocean, its boundaries, its properties, and processes, and to exploit this 
comprehension in the public interest and for the enhancement of our 
security, culture, national posture, and our economic growth. 
Mr. Casry. Do you have any films or anything like that other than 
this publication? In other words, I am interested in trying to get 
some real stimulus behind this program because I think it is that 
important. If really do. : 
Mr. McKernan. I share with all of our committee members in 
being very pleased at your interest. Yes, we do have some films and 
we have developed film strips. There is a film that was mentioned, 
I believe, by Secretary Wakelin that we would like to show if the 
committee has time before it adjourns this hearing. I think it is a very 
good one. 
Mr. Casny. There are 435 men who occupy seats here and who get 
called on for speeches before civic clubs, ladies’ clubs, and business 
groups and I think if you would let them know that.some of those 
films are available, there might be a little free publicity. 
Mr. McKernan. I think that is a very good idea and I am sure 
that those of us on the committee, and perhaps Mr. Abel will take 
this advice to heart, Mr. Casey. 
