340 



We have been engaged during the past 6 years in a similar project 

 aboard the NSF Antarctic research vessel USNS Eltanin. In this 

 case the vessel is MSTS owned and operated, the scientific support 

 staff is made up of Alpine personnel and scientific programs are 

 manned by university scholars under National Science Foundation 

 grants. 



Administration, including that of the grants, is carried out by 

 Alpine. 



I mention these examples to point out that a three way joint effort in 

 specific mission oriented programs can be accomplished effectively 

 and efficiently. I suggest that the National Science Foundation struc- 

 ture is a better example for a national agency than either the Coast 

 Guard or the Department of the Interior. 



We are interested and encouraged to see that the Commission has 

 recommended the establishment of the National Oceanic and Atmos- 

 pheric Agency. We are in favor of such an agency if it is a new agency 

 with its own responsibilities and authority and of course its own 

 funding. 



If it is to be a rehashing of existing agencies to enable the creation of 

 yet another bureaucracy I think it be best left uncreated. It is most 

 important that the new agency have access to a scientific body, or steer- 

 ing group which can plot its overall objectives and contribute to long 

 range planning, both in the initial stages of development and on a con- 

 tinuing basis. 



I am certain that with the continued excellent guidance of the 

 House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee we may all achieve 

 our objectives in oceanography. 



Mr. Lennon. Thank you, very much, Mr. Beckmann. The gentleman 

 is recognized. 



Mr. ScHADEBERG. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On page 3 you stated : 



I would recommend the operation of sucli research, development, testing and 

 evaluation facilities to be by private industry, on a cooperative arrangement with 

 Government and the academic community. 



Mr. Beckmann. Correct. 



Mr. ScHADEBERG. First of all, my question is. Do you think that pri- 

 vate industry is capable financially, or willing to assume the costs of 

 research for development of equipment that may have to be used ? I am 

 interested more or less in your interpretation of what this cooperation 

 between Government and the academic community would be, in w^hat 

 areas and to what extent. 



Mr. Beckmann. I think as far as the first part of the question asking 

 whether or not industry will develop the equipment; industry has 

 shown that it will develop the equipment. 



As far as our own company is concerned, we develop relatively 

 smaller pieces of equipment which have an almost immediate commer- 

 cial application, but of course the larger members of the industrial 

 community like the Lockheeds, and Westinghouses, and so on, have put 

 a lot of money into developing submersibles. Some have done it just 

 for publicity and some have done it with a serious intent to utilize these 

 vehicles in the future. They have to be in the future because there is 

 certainly no market for the submersibles now. 



There are approximately, 60 submersibles and about once every two 

 months one gets a decent opportunity to do something. 



