f
6
6
a
4,
(OL. 8CL:
I feel that the United States Government has quite rightly
established a precedent (in the case of Bikini) and should agree to
rehabilitating Eniwetok Atoll.
[It its obvious to any one who has seen
this atoll that it cannot support an tndigenous population in its
present state and would, of necessity, have to be rehabilitated
before the Ufelangese could return.
justified.
[ feel that this request is
5. IL feel also that their petition for the continuance of "our
yearly annual income" until Eniwetok has been completely rehabilitated
and restored to its previous condition {1s also justified, and it might
be possible, during the latter stages of this program, to reduce same,
as they return to Eniwetok and become more self-sufficient.
In any
case, this “yearly annual income" should be terminated once Eniwetok
has been completely rehabilitated and eur program there terminated.
6.
During December of 1967, there were approximately 300 men
working on Eniwetok as a part of our installation there. These men
are presently employed by Kentron and in most cases they are highly
skilled technicians. Unskilled and/or semi-skilled laborers are
necessary in order to support this staff, and I feel that these jobs
could be offered to "working males" on Ujelang -- some 40 to 50 in
number. There is, in my opinion, no reason why these men could not
be used in the kitchens, laundries, yard and general maintenance, etc.,
and used in six-month shifts -- half working one six-month period
while the other “working males" remain on Ujelang, and then reversing
this process by returning the first group to Wjelang and bringing those
previously utilized on Ujelang to Eniwetok for a second six-month period.
One of the objections to this is the security problem, but
we have certainly met this on Kwajalein and are meeting it day in and
day out in South Viet Nam, and I frankly feel that there is every
justification in considering this very logical and practical request.
This would give the people of Ujelang additional annual income and make
them feel as if they were directly contributing to their future well-
being.
All of these matters have been discussed with the Department of Defense
through their various representatives and I am quite certain that they
too are working on this problem and would hope that we could coordinate
our activites and work with them for an early and fair conclusion.
N. Neiman Craley Jr.