on 
Mr. Flipse, to go back to your discussion with Mr. Lennon with re- 
gard to the Stratton Commission’s proposals for Government organi- 
zation, I can understand how you are in a position where you would 
not like to comment on the structure. 
May I ask what functions and services that Government could pro- 
vide would be of value to a company such as yours if they were 
brought into a centralized agency ? 
Mr. Fuipse. One of the most valuable areas that we have found in 
the Government is its expertise in the hydrographic area. ESSA has 
contributed appreciably to the charting effort and the Navy has done 
a great deal of work here and, except for the need-to-know require- 
ment, we have been able to get support from the Navy Oceanographic 
Data Center so that we are not surprised by the topography of the sea 
floor. 
A very mountainous or rough area we feel would be a poor selection 
for an initial mining effort because it just adds one more hazard to the 
process. 
To get that data from the Navy is quite possible. It is a little more 
difficult than, certainly, if there was a centralized function where this 
was essentially a civilian agency and, as the Stratton Commission 
proposed, this data center would be a part of it and I suspect the data 
would be more readily available and this would be a very real service 
to ourselves or anyone else that goes into exploitation of the deep 
ocean. 
This is a specific. I feel there are many others. The coordinat’on of 
the Bureau of Mines program with the work that is being done by the 
Geological Survey would be valuable, I think, to both organizations 
and again this is consistent with the Stratton Commission proposal. 
May I suggest my reluctance in commenting on the organizational 
mechanism is not what you could call corporate cowardice nor is it 
a lack of person conviction on this matter but I feel, as a witness, I do 
not possess the necessary expertise to state a corporate position. 
Mr. Crryean. I can understand that but, to just explore your posi- 
tion on this, I gather what you are saying is that you are saying that 
these services, such as aids to navigation and maping, and the provi- 
sion of fundamental scientific and technological data for industry 
would be desirable in a centralized national organization, if there 
should be such an organization. 
Mr. Furesr. Highly desirable, Mr. Clingan. 
Mr. Crinean. Thank you. 
Mr. Lennon. Do you agree that the Commission report has stimu- 
lated private enterprise to move, well we won’t say take a giant leap 
forward but to take a little forward step in the field related to what 
you are doing as well as the other private sector of our economy 
interested in exploiting the ocean floor and the Continental Shelf ? 
Mr. Friese. Well, Mr. Chairman, it has been a very important pub- 
licity to the oceanographic effort. I think that the results of that 
Commission report, however, as exemplified by the action of your 
committee in considering a bill to form NOAA and so forth, that the 
funding that the Government actually provides as recommended by 
the Commission report, even if it is fragmented funding not through 
a central agency, and the Government’s sincerity as exhibited by your 
