Looking back over oiir sit© suinrey, vhat epee if ically is it that 
USABF hopes to accomplish with the proposed PalR®rland laboratory, or 
"boat,^' either one, or both? 
Are these facilities to be open, available, and imrestrieted for 
each and eveiy applicant desiring to engsige in sojse phase, m^or or 
minor, of ar^ line of research that he might fancy in the broad field 
of biology? 
Or does IKAHP, to begin with, wish first to fxa^her iavestl^tione 
directed toward carefully considered, definitely stated objectives • 
researches holding forth proraise, or at least the hope of yielding infor- 
jmtion being sought, or of solving specific biological problems concerned 
with Palmerlai:^ ‘ « inhabitants, plant or anlml? : i 
In fact, in oMer to detenais® what those facilities should eonsiet 
of, does not soaethir.g definitive in the way of a program or plan for 
the Faltaerlais3 operation med to be formulated, and mswie known in advance 
at least for the first year or two of their exietence? 
Otherwise, could not a lot of effort be expended in all, aiaJ perhaps 
wholly unrelated directions in diverse investigations that might never 
contribute twrard the building up of the substantial, well foujrfed, 
interrelated, cohesive body of biological knowledge which should result 
from the research work that the national Science Foundation rmy be called 
upon to underwrite in Falser land? 
Should not "first” things come first? "The first need," as set 
forth for the Antarctic aa a whole in the Project ed An tarctic Science 
Program by the Chief Sclent let of the Office of Antarctic Prograias, 
