-3 Chapter Two de turtner explained tnat scientists were experimenting with “ucieat devices “...for the good of mankind ana <c end ail worid wars’ and told now the navv had searched tne worid for a test sire and had determined that Bikini was the best -ibid.;. The Bikinmians deliberated. and according to the governor's description of events. chief Juda reported their decision: Ir the United States government and the scientists ot the worid want to use our isiand and atoll for furthering development. which with Goa’s blessing will result in kindness and benerit to aii mankind. my reopie will be pieased to go eisewhere Mason 1954:253 . White official sources report that the Bikinians agreed to re- -ocate tor the good cf ail Rumanity. it is more like! that other tactivs é2 oritirai im staming tneir Gecision. The «s!ianaers were acCusiimes to actnority imposed from the ourside the para- MOUND onief ana the cs.omlai governments which preceded that eptne Americans. and in 1946. thev were still impressed bv the Titec States’ Iecisive Sereat or Japan. The Americans’ descrip- TION Gt tne huclear weapons further convinced them ofthe rower anc tecnnoiogica: superiority of the United States. and wnen tnev were recuested to give up their ancestral homeland ov botn the Americans and their paramount cniet. it 1s doubreful chat they delievea char tnev had anv alternative-but to comply. Ik 1s not certain whether the problem ctselecting a site for tne reseruement or the community was discussed during the governor’s visic ro Bikini. An official report of the relocation simolyv licates: “Ot the eteven tramily heads wiagi) nine named Roneerik Atc. as their tirst cnoice for the resertiement’) Meade 1946°. mere Mere several factors which appeared to determine the Bikitians sesection ot Rongertk. First. the isiancers were tamuliar with tne atoll since it 1s only eighreen miles trom Rongeiab whose people tne Bikinians had long been in contact see Map 1}. Sec- ond. Rongertk was uninhabited. and resettlemenr there offered the prom:se that the Bikinians could continue their lives tree from the interference of outsiders. Lastly. there 1s some evidence which indicates that the Bikinians were never convinced thar their reloca- tion was more than a temporary measure. and as a result. they mav not have considered the selection of a new homesite to be an important matter. 5008241