60 



Mr. Pellt. Would the gentleman yield ? 



Mr. MosHER. I yield. 



Mr. Pelly. Some of tlie jurisdictional problems which confront 

 us here and which were referred to came, of course, with the Depart- 

 ment of Transportation by which various committees' jurisdictions 

 were stepped on, or they felt so at least, and indeed this very commit- 

 tee, the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, is one of those 

 that did not take kindly to the transfer of some of the matters that 

 normally come before us to that department. I think the basic legis- 

 lation must come over from the Administration and would probably 

 be referred to this committee as coming under oceanography and then, 

 in turn, we would have to invite other committees to work with us. 



Mr. MosHER. I assume that is true. 



Mr. Chairman, just one more word. It is so obvious to all of us that 

 important legislation of this sort, if it ultimately succeeds, requires a 

 sense of urgency back of it. So often the Congress only moves when 

 there is some great threat to the Nation, some event such as Sputnik, 

 which stirs us, and obviously we do not have that threat at this point, 

 at least in not as dramatic a fashion. But I suggest that we do have 

 very clearly, and it is admirably stated in the Commission report that 

 there is the urgency of opportunity here and of need that should give 

 us the impetus to accomplish the difficult task before us. 



Mr. Keith. Will the gentleman yield ? 



Mr. MosHER. I yield. 



Mr. Keith. Along those lines, Dr. Stratton says on pages 4 and 5 ; 



Science and teclinology are the principal means to these ends, and we have 

 endeavored to treat them within the more comprehensive framework of economics, 

 political realities, and management. 



Political realities should be our field, but I am always willing and 

 eager for enlightenment from the so-called private sector. 



You have been talking about the political realities of this reorgani- 

 zation, and I wonder if we might have the benefit of your thinking as 

 to what the political realities are. 



Dr. Stratton. That particular phrase was simply a recognition of 

 the fact that it is not going to be easy to make major readjustments in 

 an established structure. 



May I respond very warmly to Mr. Mosher's remarks. He said very 

 clearly, more clearly than I did, what I really think we are after. We 

 are trying to build a capability, a resource here, that this country 

 doesn't have at the present time. It has it somewhat in the Navy, and we 

 are urging support of the ISTavy. But we need to expand this technologi- 

 cal base in order to accomplish a larger purpose. 



Now, I, too, feel individually that despite budgetary stringencies, 

 we shouldn't wait. I think we have to move now if we are going to do 

 it at all. We think it will contribute enormously to the effectiveness 

 with which we accomplish the goals set forth by the Commission if 

 we consolidate some of the existing agencies. 



I think perhaps some of my colleagues might want to speak to that — 

 Mr. Keedy, Mr. Baird, if they care to. 



Mr. Lennon. I am going to take the liberty to make a brief com- 

 ment on what the gentleman from Ohio has said and then we will pro- 

 ceed in regular order so that all the members might have 

 an opportunity. 



