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perative that we move ahead on our own and take our own initiatives 

 and vigorously support a legislative program and, even though we may 

 hope for the reorganization plan, I think we must not wait for it. I 

 hope you agree with that. 



Mr. Wilson. I think any action by this committee in the form of 

 legislative amendments would be helpful in the total effort, but I still 

 stand on my prediction that the only action that will result in the for- 

 mation of a new agency will be enthusiastic Presidential support in 

 the form of an executive order. It isn't impossible by any means. 



The Congress has the responsibility and the right to write legisla- 

 tion, but the Executive has a responsibility to administer the various 

 agencies and, unless the President is enthusiastically behind the f or- 

 miation of this agency, we would be just wasting time. 



Mr. MosHER. I am sure you would agree that very vigorous bipart- 

 isan effort on the part of this committee and action and interest on the 

 part of this committee is going to strengthen the hand of the President 

 and encourage it. 



Mr. Wilson. No question about it. I hope I haven't given the im- 

 pression that I thought we were wasting time. I think we wouldn't be 

 this far, as I told you, unless this committee had really taken an en- 

 thusiastic stance on it, and we would still be in the same situation we 

 were 5 years ago with everybody talking about it and nobody doing 

 anything about it. 



You can just take full credit in the wisdom you had, as I mentioned 

 earlier, in setting up the Commission and the council for the ultimate 

 flowering of this whole idea. 



Mr. Hathaway. Congressman Pelly ? 



Mr. Pellt. I want to welcome our colleague here. I think 5 years 

 ago you and I introduced companion bills and I received the same 

 adverse reaction from the various agencies to my bill that you did to 

 yours. We had hearings and we moved a long way, rather slowly, but 

 I think in a sound and progressive way. 



Your statement to which Mr. Mosher took some exception about 

 needing, in fact requiring, support from the executive branch, I agree 

 with. 



I am reminded of the so-called members of a Cabinet that met under, 

 I think it was Andrew Jackson, and who had to deal with a problem 

 because the wives of the members of the Cabinet wouldn't call on the 

 wife of one individual that they didn't approve of because she had 

 kept a boardinghouse, and the President said, "Either your wives call 

 on Mrs. so and so or I will take all your resignations." 



Somebody has to do that today to some of the members of the 

 Cabinet because their Departments are not advising them as to what 

 this new agency would accomplish. We recognize the role of this agency 

 and they must become informed as well. 



I have seen evidence that the Department of the Interior is very 

 anxious to take over this responsibility, and I think it has spent a lot 

 of money in trying to promote that idea. The Department came out 

 with a brochure that must have cost thousands and thousands of dol- 

 lars to subtly indicate that it is the agency of Government that should 

 handle oceanography. 



I don't think, unless we have very strong support from the President, 

 that we will accomplish what we want on this, and I don't think you 



