829 
Mr. Lennon. I likewise request immediately following that mem- 
orandum there be inserted in the record a letter dated September 11 
from the Offices of the Executive Office of the President, which is 
addressed to me, which is as follows: 
DEAR CONGRESSMAN LENNON: Mr. Thomas Clingan, Counsel of your Subcom- 
mittee, called today to ask when this Council might examine the subject of 
oceanography and make its report to the President. 
Operating with a small staff, we are approaching the complex matter of Exec- 
utive Branch organization in stages. We have read the report on the President’s 
Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, and Resources and, at the Presi- 
dent’s direction, plan to examine the organizational issues that oceanography 
may pose within the context of broader requirements. We hope to launch the 
study within the next month or two. After we get into the problem, we will be 
in a better position to estimate how long it may take. 
That is dated September 11; today is September 16, and the direc- 
tive to Mr. Ash by President Nixon was dated May 19. That lacks 2 
days of being 4 months. 
(The letter follows :) 
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, 
PRESIDENT’S ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION, 
Washington, D.C., September 11, 1969. 
Congressman ALTON A. LENNON, 
Chairman, Subcommittee on Oceanography, 
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 
DEAR CONGRESSMAN LENNON: Mr. Thomas Clingan, Counsel of your Subcom- 
mittee, called today to ask when this Council might examine the subject of 
oceanography and make its report to the President. 
Operating with a small staff, we are approaching the complex matter of Ex- 
ecutive Branch organization in stages. We have read the report of the Presi- 
dent’s Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, and Resources and, at the 
President’s direction, plan to examine the organizational issues that oceanog- 
raphy may pose within the context of broader requirements. We hope to launch 
the study within the next month or two. After we get into the problem, we will 
be in a better position to estimate how iong it may take. 
Sincerely, 
Murray CoMARoOw, 
Executive Director. 
Mr. Lennon. I call the committee’s attention to the context of the 
memorandum of Mr. Ash in which they are asked to make a study 
and to make their recommendations, and call to the attention of the 
committee that 4 months later they have not gotten ready yet to start 
to begin to commence to make the study. Close quote. Now you may 
proceed. 
Dr. Wenk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
Mr. Lennon. Thank you. 
Dr. Wenx. To carry out the Council’s responsibilities, the Vice 
President took steps to augment the Council’s policy advisory mecha- 
nism by establishing a Committee on Policy Review—staffed by offi- 
cials from the member agencies of the Council at the Assistant Secre- 
tary level, and chaired by the Council’s Executive Secretary. 
This Committee then established four task groups to consider Com- 
mission recommendations that could be implemented today if merited, 
without the need for reorganization. These task groups concern: 
1. Coastal Zone Authorities. 
2. Marine Laboratories (including Coastal Zone and University/ 
National Laboratories). 
