1241 
The determined but careful approach adopted by this Subcommittee in its 
consideration of “Our Nation and the Sea” in the months immediately following 
its release is strongly commended. 
In the light of the twelve or more days of hearings held by your Subcommittee 
between January and June of this year, we feel that the objectives of the bill 
before you, H.R. 13247, are strongly supported by the record. The creation of a 
central agency of the United States government with requisite authority and 
support to administer and coordinate the nation’s several marine and atmos- 
pheric endeavors seems to us clearly an essential goal. This should eliminate 
the fragmentation and inefficiency of the present organizational arrangements. 
Full implementation of the basic recommendations of the Marine Science Com: 
mission’s report will provide an organizational focus for a total marine effort, 
an effort emphasizing the advancement of fundamental understanding of the 
characteristics of the marine environment and atmosphere, the development of 
fundamental technology to achieve more effective use of the marine and atmos- 
pheric environments, and the other equally significant functions set forth in 
Section 104 of the bill. 
We also strongly favor the creation of the National Advisory Committee for 
Oceans and Atmosphere to provide continuing review of the progress of the 
nation in achieving the objectives of the proposed legislation. 
Despite our strong approval and support of the Commission report and the 
bill H.R. 18247, we would prefer to see the combined agencies proposed in the 
bill create the new Department of Oceans. We are told by Congressional and 
administrative leaders that this is not possible for the foreseeable future. 
If this is the case, then these agencies should be brought together in the Oceans 
Commission for Economic and Advanced Natural Sciences, to be known as 
OCEANS, or if you prefer SEAS—Seas Environmental Agency Services. 
We also feel that the functions of the Maritime Administration should be 
incorporated in the newly organized Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency. This can 
simply and effectively be accomplished with a minimum of disruption of the 
existing bureaus proposed for incorporation into such a new agency. 
Notwithstanding the reservations just expressed concerning the Department of 
Commerce as the focus agency and incorporation of the Maritime Administration, 
we do not offer at this time specific amendmenits to accomplish these purposes and 
these reservations do not diminish our support of H.R. 13247 as it will, hopefully, 
soon be reported by your distinguished Committee on Merchant Marine and 
Fisheries, followed by early and effective action in the House. 
Mr. Chairman, I would like to offer for the record a document prepared and 
widely distributed by the National Maritime Union of America, AFL-CIO, entitled 
“Frontiers Below.’* I think it will demonstrate to you and members of the Com- 
mittee as well or better than ‘anything I have said today ‘that we are fully appre- 
ciative of the vital importance of early and broad effective implementation of the 
policies stated in ithe Marine Science Act of 1966. 
Thus we look imaginatively ‘to exploitation of 'the oceans for mankind. Yet our 
reasoning is alarmed at the screech and howl of the gale, a gale which warns that 
we will not move without a “JETNIK” blasting us out of our mental doldrums. 
This is the doldrum of ‘complacency which only fear seems able to penetrate. 
Nevertheless, we intend to continue our hopes for mankind and ‘the oceans. In 
doing this, we intend to back up a bit with our projections into the future. Today 
we are going to talk in terms which are totally practical. Practical terms which 
we can undestand as necessary, and obtainable, in our time. 
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO, 
La Jolla, Calif., August 26, 1969. 
Hon. ALTON LENNON, 2 
U.S. House of Representatives, Longworth House Office Building, 
Washington, D.C. 
Dear Mr. Lennon: Thank you for the copy of H.R. 13247. This letter is in 
response to your request for comments on the bill. 
I support the bill and its principal objectives. As far as possible, my support 
and detailed comments are distilled from the combined opinions of many years of 
experience of the senior staff of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. 
On the whole, United States interests have historically been well served by such 
institutions as Scripps, Woods Hole, Lamont, the University of Washington, the 
Institute of Marine Sciences at Miami and the other dedicated institutions as well 
*The document was placed in the files of the subcommittee. 
