48 



Mr. Lennon. Is it the thought of the Commission that the National 

 Coimcil's life should be extended for 6 months beyond its present 

 expiration date or for the period of a year from its present expiration 

 date, or until such time as the recommendations of the Commission 

 are implemented? 



Dr. Stratton. Our feeling has been that it should be extended until 

 uch time as some of these actions are taken. We have had the very 

 highest respect for the Council. It has accomplished a great deal over 

 the past year. 



We are convinced that in the long term it cannot carry out the 

 operations and serve as the protagonist and the advocate in the way 

 that an operating department can. That is the only reason. 



However, in the meantime to dismiss the Council without having 

 something established in its place would seem to us a loss. 



I trust the other members are in agreement with that statment. 



Mr. Lennon. Speaking of the NACO, the National Advisory Com- 

 mission on Aeronautics was created in 1915, was it not? 



Dr. Stratton. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Lennon. Someone has suggested the possibility of the creation 

 of a National Advisory Committee on Oceanography in anticipation 

 of the implementation of the recommendations of the report to permit 

 such an organization to establish a dialogue with the several State 

 agencies, particularly the coastal and Great Lakes areas, in order to 

 bring into being these coastal laboratories and try to resolve some of 

 these matters pending the final implementation by Congress of some 

 of the more specific recommendations concerning the independent 

 organization. 



Would you have any comments on that? 



Mr. Reedy. I think there might be something of a problem in this, 

 Mr. Chairman, although I do not feel strongly about the problem. 

 There might be something of a problem in determining what this 

 advisory commission should be attached to. I have a feeling, based 

 upon past experience, that when an advisory commission is set up, 

 even if for administrative purposes you say ''to advise the President," 

 it does not have the same impact that it does when you set it up with 

 a connection to a specific agency that has contractual and administra- 

 tive authority. 



On this I would not presume to speak for the members of the 

 Commission. My own individual thought is that for the time being 

 such functions are perhaps best lodged in the Council. 



Mr. Lennon. The thought was advanced that an active NACO 

 begin now to work for the coastal areas and laboratories. The thought 

 was further that they could work with the National Council until 

 formation of the new agency. 



Do you think the coastal States areas will just stand still until 

 Congress takes action, which can be months or years from now? 



Mr. Reedy. I really do not have final conclusions on this. I have a 

 certain amount of reservation in my own mind as to the effectiveness 

 of a Commission which does not have a specific contractural adminis- 

 trative agency. 



Mr. Perry. In regard to the question about whether the States will 

 sit still in the meantime, I don't think they will. As a matter of fact, 

 in Miami they already formed a State Maritime Association and it 



