very unfavorably, of course, with the 2.32 square miles of dry land area, the 7229.40 square miles of lagoon area, and the large reef areas of Bikini Atoll. Kili was purchased by German traders from the local chiefs and was operated as a commercial copra plantation by the Germans. The title to the island was transferred to the Japanese Government when the Japanese seized the Marshalls in 1914. It was leased to a Japanese company and operated as a copra plantation until 1940. There were allegedly not more than about thirty Marshallese laborers working on the planta- tion at a time. Food was brought in from Jaluit Atoll, about thirty miles to the southeast. Chickens and swine were raised to supplement the imported foodstuffs. A small number of bread- fruittrees were planted and used, but the island was primarily a copra plantation. Kili passed into tne nands of the United States Government following World War II, plantation workers Kili, and tne few remaining were evacuated. lying as it does in the southern Marshall, heavy rainfall and has rich and deep soil, enjoys a for the Marshalls, Most of the island, 198.04 acres have been planted to coconut palms (191.17 acres). A taro patch area occupies the center of the island to the extent of 4.25 acres. There are a number of bearing breadfrult trees, some edible pandanus, a3 Well as banana, 3 papaya and pumpkin plantings. A serious breadfriut biight has destroyed many of the trees on Kili and remains unchecked. A method of controlling this menace has ; 900997 Jib not yet been found.