180 



With my personal comments as background, and with the agreement 

 of the chairman, I wish to read the letter forwarded by the Committee 

 on Ocean Engineering to the subcommittee : 



National Academy of Engineering, 



'Committee on Ocean Engineering, 



Washington, D.C., May 9, 1969. 

 Hon. Alton Lennon, 



Chairman, Subcommittee on Oceanography, 

 House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 



Dear Mr. Lennon : The Oommittee on Oeean Engineering (NAECOE) is pleased 

 to respond to your request for comments and reoommendations for consideration 

 during the hearings of your Suhcommittee on the National interests in the oceans. 

 The report, "Our Nation and the Sea" prepared by *he Marine Commission headed 

 by Dr. Stratton is a significant outline for aietion and a useful reference. 



NAECOE POSITION ON NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT 



The Committee considers that it is essential that the United States, as national 

 policy, must he com,mitted to the proposition that we he a leading ocean-oriented 

 nation {economically, politically, militarily, and culturally) as an important and 

 necessary complement to the other national interests. 



This commitment would by its nature eneompass strong participation by both 

 the non-governmeintal and governmental sectors. With proper leadership, this 

 commitment to the Oceans vpill also appear as an element in most of the decisions 

 in the life of the nation. 



In the context of your delibertations on the Ootm mission report, our Committee 

 wishes to outline a few major points required for implemenaition of such a 

 national commitment. 



THE OCCUPATION OF SEA BY MAN 



The Committee recommends that the ohjective. The Occupation of the Sea hy 

 Man, he an element of the national marine policy. 



The term is used in the toroadest sense to mean the removal of barriers which 

 prevent man's ability to work everywhere in the ocean environment. This objec- 

 tive will support and is compatible with the development of the ocean's resource, 

 the national security, and scientific invesltigation. 



A MAJOR PROGRAM FOR INITIATION BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT 



NAECOE recommends that initiation of expanded and continuing long-term 

 ocean exploration is a specific program- in which the governm,ent should take the 

 lead in support of a national com-mitment to the ocean. 



The information from ocean explonation is an essential requirement common 

 to all engimeering interest in the marine environment. A program of ocean explo- 

 ration, by the nature of its long term economic return, is a venture which is best 

 funded primarily by public ca^pitai. Detailed exploration programs by the non- 

 governmental sector will complement the governmental program. The private 

 capital invested will increase if, as in ail activities where there is joint participa- 

 tion with pu'blic and private capital, a consistent and long-term program com- 

 mitment by the government provides an environment for effective private planning 

 and participation. 



INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN OCEAN EXPLORATION 



There is a significant amount of engineering-related ocean exploration, as well 

 as exploration technique development, that can he accomplished suitahly and 

 heneficially hy international cooperation. 



This position was agreed upon by our Committee after appraising the Proposed 

 International Decade of Ocean Exploration as an element in an expanded pro- 

 gram of ocean exploration. As in the national ocean exploration program the Com- 

 mittee calls attention to the necessity to identify the extent to which the 

 engineering-related exploraition effort can be included in the program without 

 jeopardizing the legitimate proprietary interests of industry and individual 

 nations. 



