Ambassador BROWN. We will so recommend to the Senate that he be given ambassadorial rank. The CHAIRMAN. Will John Norton Moore as Chairman of the National Security Council Interagency Task Force on the Law of the Sea have ambassadorial rank for the remainder of the Law of the Sea Conference? Ambassador BROWN. You will have to ask John Moore that. The CHAIRMAN. I think he is waiting as we are to find out what is happening. Do you know? Ambassador BROWN. No, I do not know. The CHAIRMAN. Do you know if consideration has been given to the idea? Ambassador BROWN. I do not know, Madam Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Do you think it would strengthen our hand at the conference for him to have this rank? Ambassador BROWN. May I address that in a letter to the committee, Madam Chairman? The CHAIRMAN. If you will, please. I understand that staffing is a big problem at this time; that many of the secretaries are having to work such long hours that it will take two or three full-time secretaries to do the work that is being done on overtime. Is this true? Ambassador BROWN. I understand they are very hard pressed. The CHAIRMAN. How much professional and secretarial staff does this office have at this time? Ambassador BROWN. He has eight at the present time. The CHAIRMAN. Has your Inspector General recommended more staffing for this office and if so, how much more? Ambassador BROWN. Yes, he has recommended four people; two officers, and two secretaries. The CHAIRMAN. What are your plans with respect to obtaining more staff? Ambassador BROWN. I have a major problem right now, Madam Chairman, that is in the department because we are being assessed as all other agencies with a personnel reduction and I am in the process now of trying to figure out how I can reduce personnel and then meet the urgent needs throughout the department. I have no answer as yet on that because it is a complicated and difficult problem for us. The CHAIRMAN. In August of this year there were six U.S. vacancies on various International Fisheries Commissions. What, if anything, has been done about filling these positions? Ambassador BROWN. We have been in the process of filling them. We filled one yesterday. We hope to have particularly on the North Pacific Commission, a full staffing pattern for that in the next few weeks of the meetings that will be taking place in November. The CHAIRMAN. You know, I am curious. Who thought up the title of this new bureau? Ambassador BROWN. I guess I did. The CHAIRMAN. Shame on you! You have already envisioned that we are going to lose Oceanography in this committee. Ambassador BROWN. Not at all. The CHAIRMAN. Because you have passed it under this title. Ambassador BROWN. I am sorry? The CHAIRMAN. You have passed it to another committee with this title. Ambassador BROWN. Have I? The CHAIRMAN. Environmental and Scientific Affairs. If the socalled reforms are made in the Congress this year, a new committee is going to be created, Energy and the Environment. Ambassador BROWN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. And Oceanography will be fragmented to the point where several committees are going to have it instead of our committee. We have not lost the fight yet, so I hope you might be thinking up another title. We have a great deal of correspondence that we have had with the Department of State on this matter and at this time without objection we will make it part of the record, to be placed in the record at this point. [The correspondence referred to follows:] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, D.C., August 20, 1974. Hon. JOHN D. DINGELL, Chairman, Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Secretary Kissinger has asked me to thank you for your inquiry of August 1 concerning the filling of the positions of Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretaries for the new Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs. We are, of course, very much aware of your great interest in this question and the expressed interest of your Committee and of the Congress in general. I had hoped to be able to inform you sometime ago of these nominations. We are very close to completing the selection and will be able to announce these nominations in the immediate future. They will be, as you already know, highly qualified people. I want to reassure you that the Secretary is deeply interested in the complex, vital fisheries questions to which you refer. I would add that we recognize and value your own outstanding work in this field over the years. Cordially, LINWOOD HOLTON, AUGUST 1, 1974. Hon. HENRY A. KISSINGer, Secretary of State, Department of State, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. SECRETARY: On December 18, 1973, an again on February 1, 1974, I wrote to you, along with the Honorable Leonor K. Sullivan, Chairman of this Committee, regarding the implementation of Public Law 93-126 as it would relate to reassigning the duties previously performed by your Special Assistant for Fisheries and Wildlife. The Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations responded to both of these letters on your behalf and assured us that there was no intention to downgrade the problems related to international fisheries, that the new Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs would be headed by an Assistant Secretary and that each of the three subject area divisions under that Bureau would be headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary. To date, neither of these positions has been filled. Further, since the first of this year, Ambassador McKernan, former Special Assistant to the Secretary for Fisheries and Wildlife, and several other persons with fisheries expertise have left the Department. In addition, as was pointed out by Chairman Sullivan and other Members of this Committee in their letter to you of June 21, there presently exist some six U.S. vacancies on various international fisheries commissions. A copy of the June 21 letter, as yet unanswered, is enclosed for your information. Mr. Secretary, this is a most distressing situation, given the present state of the U.S. fisheries, the vast number of problems existing in this area which cry out for solution, and the fact that this country is presently engaged in international negotiations in Caracas which may well determine its future rights and responsibilities with respect to the World's seas. We are well aware of your responsibilities in other areas-many of them critical-but this merely heightens the need for competent and knowledgeable persons to fill these vacancies before our problems in this area also reach crisis proportions. Because we believe that this situation, if it is permiteed to continue, will result in irreparable damage to the United States in areas for which we have primary responsibility within the Congress, my Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment has scheduled oversight hearings on this matter for 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 12, 1974, in Room 1334 of the Longworth House Office Building. Accordingly, we hereby request that you or your representative appear before the Subcommittee at that time to advise the Members what action your Department is taking to assure that these vacancies are filled by appropriately qualified persons without any further delay. Your immediate response to this request will be appreciated. Sincerely, Enclosure. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, D.C. August 16, 1974. Hon. LEONOR K. SULLIVAN, Chairman, Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, House of Representatives. DEAR MRS. SULLIVAN: You will recall that my Deputy Kempton Jenkins discussed with you, shortly after we received your letter of June 21, the prospects for filling the position of Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretaries for the new Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs. We have, of course, long been appreciative of your personal profound interest in this question, and the interest of the members of your Committee. We had hoped to be able to inform you sometime ago of these nominations. Unfortunately, the selection and approval of the nominations has still not been quite completed. We are, however, very close to completion, and we will be announcing these nominations in the immediate future. I wish to reassure you that the Secretary is deeply interested in the complex, vital fisheries questions to which you refer, and I would add that we recognize and value your own outstanding work in this field over the years. You will be hearing from us shortly. Sincerely yours, LINWOOD HOLTON, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES, Hon. HENRY A. KISSINGER, MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: As you know, this is a critical time for the United States fishing industry. Congress is moving ahead with plans to unilaterally extend U.S. fisheries jurisdiction and establish a national management program for the contiguous fisheries zone. The international fisheries commissions are engaged in negotiations which may well determine whether some fish stocks will avoid destruction, and the International Law of the Sea Conference continues to hold great potential for the United States fishing industry. In these times which could well be pivotal for the entire fishing industry, it is especially important to have strong management and direction from the Executive Branch. Currently there are vacancies in the key position of Special Assistant to the Secretary for Fisheries and Wildlife, in three positions on the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission, in two positions on the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Commission, and in a position on the International Salmon Commission. With these roles unfilled, the effective leadership that is needed so badly will be difficult to obtain, and the Administration's commitment to a strong fisheries program will be questioned. We understand the great demands on your time from other areas and appreciate the results therefrom. However, your own demanding schedule is even greater reason to get highly-qualified people selected to handle areas that you have not been able to give your personal attention. Consequently, we urge that the vacancies listed above be filled as quickly as possible. Sincerely, Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives. DEAR MRS. CHAIRMAN: The Secretary has asked me to reply to your letter of February 1, 1974 also signed by Chairman Dingell, about the implementation of Public Law 93-126 as it would relate to reassigning the duties now performed by the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Fisheries and Wildlife. As we wrote in our earlier reply to you, it is certainly not our intent to downgrade oceans affairs and the problems related to international fisheries. Our studies of how best to organize the new bureau have taken into account, among other things, how best to meet the special needs of such interested groups as union and industry organizations associated with the fishing industry, and our decision takes their views into full cognizance. The bureau will have primary responsibility for contributing foreign policy and foreign relations considerations to the development of a comprehensive and coherent United States Policy in the area where it will be assigned fundamental responsibility. The plans for organizing the new bureau do include dividing it into three areas-oceans and fisheries, environment, and science and technology and placing a Deputy Assistant Secretary at the head of each area. If there is any other way in which we can be of assistance to you, please let us know. With kindest regards. LINWOOD HOLTON, Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. FEBRUARY 1, 1974. Hon. HENRY A. KISSINGER, DEAR MR. SECRETARY: This will acknowledge a letter on your behalf, dated January 16, 1974, from Mr. Marshall Wright, Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations, concerning your implementation of Public Law 92-126 as it would relate to reassigning the duties now performed by the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Fish and Wildlife. A copy of the complete correspondence is enclosed, for your information. We note in Mr. Wright's letter that it is not your intent to downgrade the matters for which the new Assistant Secretary will be responsible. However, you do not explain how you plan to accomplish your purpose and we would appreciate your advising us, in detail, as to how our concerns, as expressed in our letter of December 18, 1973, will be satisfied. Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives DEAR MRS. CHAIRMAN: The Secretary has asked me to thank you for your letter of December 10, 1973 also signed by Chairman Dingell, about the implementation of P.L. 93-126 in the State Department. Your letter expresses concern that the reorganization called for by this legislation might downgrade the importance of our fisheries. Specific reference is made to any action which would eliminate or weaken the position of Special Assistant to the Secretary for Fisheries and Wildlife- -or that would eliminate his title of Ambassador during negotiations. Our plans for implementing the reorganization provision are now being drawn. Although we did not seek this legislation, we do look on it as a positive opportunity to bring coherence, and thus greater attention, to our handling of the growing problems of environment, oceans, and science and technology. It is certainly not our intent to downgrade any of these matters for which the new Assistant Secretary will be responsible. We will carefully consider the useful comments contained in your letter as we finalize our implementation plans. If there is any other way in which we might be of assistance to you, please let me know. Sincerely, MARSHALL WRIGHT, Assistant Secretary for DECEMBER 18, 1973. Enclosure. Hon. HENRY A. KISSINGER, Secretary of State, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. SECRETARY: It is our understanding that, pursuant to Public Law 93-126, plans are underway to reassign the duties now performed by the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Fish and Wildlife. As you are aware, our Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries has jurisdiction over fisheries and wildlife, including research, restoration, refuges, and conservation. This Committee, especially through its Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment, has over the years established an excellent working relationship with your Special Assistant for Fish and Wildlife, Ambassador Donald F. McKernan. We recently learned of Ambassador McKernan's plans to retire and we want you to know that this dedicated and most capable public servant will be greatly missed. It is our further understanding that under the reorganization plan the responsibilities so ably carried out by Ambassador McKernan will fall under the jurisdiction of the newly created Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs headed by an Assistant Secretary. While this new arrangement may appear to be sound in principle, we are greatly concerned that it will result in fisheries and wildlife matters, in general, being considerably downgraded. |