820 
Dr. Edward Wenk, Jr., executive secretary of the National Council 
on Marine Resources and Engineering Development. 
For the benefit of those who are here who might not know, and I 
am sure everyone here does know, Dr. Wenk served as executive secre- 
tary of the National Council on Marine Resources and Engineering 
Development, which council was created by an act of Congress, and he 
very shortly thereafter became executive secretary to the National 
Council under the former administration. 
Through the nonpartisan effort of the members of this committee 
in a letter addressed to the then President-elect Mr. Nixon, we re- 
quested that his splendid services be retained by the National Council 
under the new administration. 
Dr. Wenk, we are delighted and honored to have you here. I under- 
stand that your statement is approximately 25 pages. I don’t know 
how long it would take you to cover that. I have reviewed it and find 
that your real statement to the matter that we are concerned with 
begins on about the middle of page 18. Nevertheless, we think it is 
advantageous to all of us, and I hope we will have the time, for you 
to go through it in its entirety and still leave us a little time for you 
to answer some questions. 
Thank you, sir. You may proceed. 
STATEMENT OF DR. EDWARD WENK, JR., EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, 
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON MARINE RESOURCES AND ENGINEERING 
DEVELOPMENT 
Dr. Wenx. Thank you very much. 
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee on Oceanography : 
Thank you for your kind words and for your encouragement on my 
presentation here this morning. It is a great privilege to be here 
before this committee today to discuss “Our Nation and the Sea,” the 
final report of the Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, and 
Resources. 
Tf I mav, I would like to read the statement, although I think I 
understand your comment about the peak in interest beginning about 
page 18, but I believe the background contained herein may be helpful 
in both setting the stage for questions you may ask and also permitting 
this witness to develop a consistency in the comments that flow in the 
testimony. 
The Commission’s comprehensive, thoughtful analysis of our 
Nation’s stake in the oceans provides a valuable guide to possible next 
steps if we are to utilize the seas more effectively and more intelligently 
for the benefit of mankind. As you evaluate their recommendations, 
T hope that these brief comments from my vantage point as executive 
secretary of the Marine Sciences Council may prove useful. 
To put the Commission’s report in perspective, I should like to trace 
the -volv‘ion o* mare se‘once »ffairs during the 'st 10 vears, diserss 
the Commission’s findings, its limitations and its implications for the 
future, and describe some of the actions being taken in the executive 
branch relating to its findings. 
OCEANOGRAPHY COMES OF AGE 
For a Nation with such strong maritime origins, it is a paradox that 
America’s interest in the sea has periodically waxed and waned. Re- 
