Ve
lf we plan to set off two, three or four ground or low tower shots
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we will not be able to do so on the existing
{slands in Eniwetok Atoll for several reasons. First we are restricted
{o the Northern portion of the atoll because of location of the base camp
at the southern end << second, because of the magnitude of the yield
of these weapons it will not be possible to have two successive shots
in the same immediate area in a short period of time, in view of the
yesidual radioactivity -- third, the islands of Eniwetok Atoll available
for thermonuclear shots are suificiently close together that the blast
of the first shot would damage the measuring devices on the other
islands. Here we are limited by time as well as the geographical
nature of Eniwetok as we do not wish to conduct these tests over a
long period because of the cost involved and the difficulty of keeping
personnel in the Pacific. Therefore, the test organization propeses
to locate some shots on Bikini. It is far enough (180 nautical miles)
from Eniwetok to be used for a series of thermonuclear shots without
damaging the base at Eniwetok while close enough to use Eniwetok as
the base, Dr. Graves feels that firing two successive thermonuclear
shots at Bikini in the same operation is feasible,
Mr, Glennan asked whether the use of Bikini would necessitate
the construction of any permanent facilities. General Fields answered
that they would need to construct a temporary camp which would be
made up of tents, a power plant, a C-47 size runway. The over-all
cost of having the shot on Bikini would be about $12 million dollars.
However, much of this money would have been required if Eniwetok
had been used,
In reply to a question from Mr. Glennan, Dr. Graves said that this
would, of course, prohibit the return of the natives to Bikini at this
time. Mr. Dean commented that this presented several problems. The
natives moved heretofore had not been relocated on an atoll and the
lack of a lagoon had forced them to change their mode of life. Secondly,
the Russians had been making capital out of this by accusing the U. S.
of mistreating natives in the Pacific, He felt, however, that if the use
of Bikini is necessary, it could be worked out with the appropriate
officials in the Department of the Interior.
Mr. Dean asked whether there were any other alternatives. Could
we, for example, have a floating shot on a raft at sea in order to gain
the factor of distance from the other shots and the base camp? Dr.
Graves replied that if one were interested solely in whether the device
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