oo + ee en _- . a . 2 ey Chapter Six anthropologist. Saul Riesenberg, visited Kili in June. 1954, and reported “...it is obvious that the people have worked hard un. der the manager's direction. and the resuits are obvious to the eve evervwhere” ‘Riesenberg 1954). Part of the swamp was cleared and planted. The planting of other crops was greatly in- creased. For the first time, a number of people. including Juda and three or four of the Bikini alab, indicated they were willing to remain on Kili if progress continued to be made. The majority of the islanders. however, remained pessimistic. At least three of the Bikini alab withheld their support and led and that with further support and encouragement. a greater number ot people would adopt a more positive attitude. In his opinlon. the negative attitude expressed by most of the people was at least based partially on the assumption that the Americans would do more for Kili if they could be made to feel responsible and guilty for the Bikinians’ unfortunate plight. He concluded: tn other words, consciously or not. they are trying to, place them-. selves in an advantageous bargaining position. An improvement in the general prosperity of Kili as a result of the development project May cause mitigation of this negativism. In any case. the project would seem to be a last chance for Kili. and is so viewed by some of the people: if it fails. they feel the onlv remaining recourse is to move eisewhere :Ibid.:. The district administration concurred that maximum effort should be made to support the project. To ensure that the people had an adequate food supply until thev realized a harvest from their labor, local resources were supplemented by an issue of C-rations. In August the first of three special field trips was arranged to obtain more plantings from Kusaie. District anthropologist. Jack Tobin, accompanied Milne and a numberof Bikinians on the trip. They returned to Kili with 6,000 taro cut- aytie haw. tings and large quantities of breadfruit. banana, and otherplants. I0012b4 tl Me improve their lot on Kili. From their point of view. the success. of the relocation was the Americans’ responsibility. and the Unired States owed them wages for their work with the project. Riesenverg judged that the project was at a critical stage. Fe i! a group ofdissidents which dampened the morale and optimism of others. The dissidents were skeptical and critical of efforts to