The Alaska daily empire., 1921-12-21
OCEAN CURRENTS NEED
 TO BE CHARTED
Director E. Lester Jones Urges Congressional Ap-
 propriiation for Work.
(Continued From Page One.)

on inshore surveying, the demand for which had been insistent. Con sequently, investigations in oceanog raphy that was more urgently need ed then by our merchant marine
 Information Needed
 Since the war there has developed very urgent demand for more ex- act information concerning the oceans, and in particular the Atlantic and Pacific, This demand comes from scientists, as well as from ma rines, fishermen and cartographers, and the information sought concerns the advancement and welfare of the country in many respects. There would result from Q better knowledge Irf the oceans direct savings from d decreased loss of ships, their passen gers and cargoes; from shorter and quicker passages; and from reduced passenger, freight and insurance rates, because of sthe greater ,ssafety. There would result a better knowl- euge of the present fishing banks; the discovery Of new fishing banks; and a better knowledge, of the dis trihution and movement of food fishes and of their food, which would have enormous economic value to the country A better knowledge of the configuration of the ocean bottoms, of the materials deposited upon those bottoms and of the ocean currents may result in discoveries that will materially modify our ideas of some of the laws of nature. Meteorology is believed to be closely related to ocean conditions. and it seems more than probable that systematic ob- servation of meteorological data over the oceans will contribute to more complete and more dependable wealth CT forecast
 Unexpio;ed Areas
 "Oceon surveys should Dc resumed in the Atlantic for the purpose of surglementing and extending our earlier surveys. Unexplored areas off our coast should be examined and sufficient number of soundings ta- k'n to give at least general knowl- edge of the relief of the bottom. Where the earlier surveys are known to have been made with crude ap- paratus and by doubtful methods, a re-exa imitation should be made to verify the earlier work, and, if found to be appreciatly in error, these areas should be resurveyed. Accom- panying the hydrography there should be taken a sufficient number of ob- servations of current, density, tenn perature, and salinity, to permit a thorough study of the ocean currents. These are the phases of oceanogra- phy that come properly within the scope of activities of this bureau. but there appears to be no reason why other investigations in oceanog- raphy could not be conducted at the same time at small additional cost by scientists detailed to the party from bureaus having cognizance of such subjects.
 On the Pacific
 'In the Pacific the same lines of investigation should be carried out. but there even a beginning has hard ly been made; the areas of totally unexplored ocean are of vast dime1- sions. There is reason to believe that fishing banks of which we have no reliable information may lie just outside our coastal waters; the sup posed locations of these banks should be investigated without delay. Off the Southern California coast and also westward from the Hawaiian Islands are dangerous reefs in the track of our shipping. Until these and other uncertain areas are thor oughfy explored we may expect un. ayoidable wrecks and loss of life"