215 



I don't know that you would recognize but one of you now from 

 this picture. We don't usually do this but if it can be done I would 

 like for it to be done. 



Now, the o-entleman from Washington, 



Mr. Pelly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



I want to join you in welcoming these very distinguished men before 

 our committee. We liave a very great interest in oceanography and on 

 the serious side I would like to propound one or two questions that I 

 think are important. 



One is with regard to the breathing apparatus which enabled you to 

 make excursions from the habitat. I understand that you were critical, 

 according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in my district, of this 

 breathing apparatus. Could one or all of 3'ou comment on that? 



Mr. Waller. I would like to comment on that. Congressman, 



We used underwater breathing equipment in Tektite of a very old 

 type. It is about 30 years old, as a matter of fact, not this particular 

 model but the design itself. 



I think we all strongly feel that there is a very definite need to de- 

 velop new and better equipment than is now available if w^e are indeed 

 serious in our discussions about Continental Shelf exploration and 

 exploitation and management. 



I personally feel that there is a great deal of underwater develop- 

 ment or undersea technology development now going on in the military 

 and I am not at all convinced that this particular development is 

 answering the nonmilitary needs and it probably should not because 

 military programs should satisfy military needs first. 



But I do strongly urge that there be a greater effort made in the 

 development of underwater needs for nonmilitary functions. 



Mr. Pelly. I understand that there are much better types of breath- 

 ing apparatus available, and I was wondering whether there were any 

 financial or other constraints that caused those who were providing 

 the equipment not to give you better equipment. 



Mr, Waller, Well, there is, of course, better equipment available, 

 I am afraid that there was an oversight on many of our parts in Tek- 

 tite, In regard to one particular piece of breathing equipment that we 

 had planned on using it was decided that quite possible there had not 

 been enough test and evaluation on this rig, I am not really sure what 

 the reasons were, but I know it was classified and at the last minute it 

 wasn't available to us. 



Mr. Pelly. Mr. Chairman, I wonder if Admiral Waters could 

 comment on the classification of the breathing apparatus. Was that 

 done by the Navy? 



Admiral Waters. Mr. O'Neal will take that. I am not quite sure I 

 have the details. 



Mr. Pelly. Is it true that the Navy classified the one type of breath- 

 ing apparatus which they had hoped to have for tliis project. 



Mr. O'Neal. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Pelly. Wliy is that? 



Mr. O'Neal. The story is that the General Electric Co., the same 

 department in fact, has developed a new breathing apparatus. There 

 are about three developmental models available. 



Some of the techniques have been classified as of the present time. 

 The equipment is still undergoing evaluation in the Navy. The real 



