°e 4 ¢ 8 4 that with the exception of -3- coconut crabs from the northern islands of the Rongelap Atoll, all foods can be eaten. Last night we all joined together in a feast of coconut crabs that were caught on the southern islands. These crabs are delicious and you can eat one a day of those caught in the southern part of the atoll. We have crabs which were taken from the northern and southern parts of Rongelap which we will take back for analysis. We hope that soon we will be able to lift the ban entirely on eating coconut crabs. Before answering specific questions posed by the Rongelap Fallout Survivors Association, I would like to say that there are some misunderstandings which arise because we on the medical team are not familiar with the customs of the people. I hope that you will forgive us when we do something that goes against the customs. We would appreciate being told when we do this. I would like now to take the questions up, one by one. Some of them have already been answered in the discussion I have made prior to this. 1. "We request that the children of the irradiated be included in compensation that may be forthcoming from the A. E. C. We request this because we know that damage done to our bodies by the radiation may be passed on to our children through heredity. This compensation for our children is of the greatest concern to we people of Rongelap." This auestion is not within our area of authority, and will be turned over to the authorities as soon as possible. Though I cannot speak for the U. S. Government I feel sure that if any radiation-connected disability shautd arise in anv of the children. which was inherited from exposed parents, they would be given due compensation. 2. “We request that the United States hasten to complete their arrangements with the Congress of Micronesia and be quick to pay the money you owe us for having damaged our islands." This question is also out of the realm of our authority and will be ‘passed on to the proper authorities. 3. “We request that the A. E. C. and the B. N. L. team pay the same respect to the people of Rongelap that the people pay to then. We submit that one way to do this would be to fulfill all of our requests with great haste." We will pass these requests on to the proper authorities as soon as possible. , 4. “We request that the B. N. L. team serve rice, bread, and meat at the time of the examinations instead of the proposed cookies and coffee. We request this food because the examinations and the presence of the B. N. L. team interfere with our food gathering, and food preparation to the point of halting them completely.”