atoll on March 6, 1946.
Rongerik has a dry land area of 0.65
square miles, scattered over approximately 17 isiands.
has a lagoon area of 55.38 square miles.
It
This is mucn smaller
than the 2.32-square-mile land area and 229.40-square-mile
lagoon area of Bikini, with its 36 islands
The attempt to settle at Rongerik was a failure, allegedly
due to the insufficient natural resources.
A Board of
Investigation convened by the Navy on June 2, 1947, recommended
that the displaced Bikinians be moved again.
The Bikinians through their leader "King" Juda, as he was
erroneously christened by romantically minded newsmen, accom-
panied by three leaders (alab) of Bikini, inspected Rongerik,
Kili, Ujilang, Wotto and Ujae to try to find a suitable place
in which to relocate their people.
The Bikini people were
interested in getting back to their ancestral home as rapidly
as possible and had allegedly regarded the past and future
‘resettlements as only temporary.
The period from June 2, 1947, to September 1, 1947, was
spent in inspecting these possible resettlement areas.
On
August 26, 1947 the council of the ex-Bikini people on Rongerik
sent the following letter to the American authorities:
(translation):
"fo the Office at Kwajalein:
Gentlemen:
We the council have held a meeting
to find the best place to go to.
We have been
to some other places to inspect and have considered them.
problem.
In moving we find it quite a
The place we all agreed to stay on
is Rongerik Atoll.
s/We, The Council
it