Memorandum for Record ~2- had been advised by them that it would be wise to meet with the Tobolar Board and explain our intentions. It had been suggested also that we might discuss our plans with Joe Murphy, publisher of the Micronesian Independent. The President's reaction to the copra question was quite surprising. Although he has known for some time of our interest and concern, at this time his reaction was quite negative. He asked, "Why involve us at all in this question? If you have questions to which you need answers, why not find your own ways to answer them? If you want to buy some of our oil and cake, do so; but don't make a big show of it." I explained that we intended no "big show," but neither did we plan to try to do this surreptitiously. "We feel that we must be open and candid with you and with the Tobolar Board, and if people have questions about our interest we intend to be honest with them." I explained that our main purpose will be to try to understand the Tobolar process in order that the laboratory process may truly represent it. "We also wish to find out how the nutrients in the copra are partitioned between the oil and the cake, how much is in the undissolved solids in the oil, etc." I stressed that we do not plan to introduce anything into the Tobolar. We just want to observe what is happening there now, in the course of its normal operation. President Kabua asked why the Department of Energy is so interested in the copra question. If responded that there seemed to be two good bases for our interest. First, the economy of Enewetak (and eventually of BIKINi, Should tnat atoll ever again be resettled) would be heavily denendent upon canra: and secand. tha Tohalar plant itself To undesstond. was actively seeking other sources of copra in order that it might some day reach its production capacity. The President: "Do you think that you wil] ever be able to say that the oil and cake from Bikini or Enewetak are acceptable for World commerce?" My answer: "I don't know what standard the World market may apply but I think that there is a very good chance that the oil--properly filtered and processed--may be found to be free of radioactive contamination to be accepted by the market. The President: "Do you really think anyone will believe the United States Department of Energy when it says the oil is safe?" Answer: "I sincerely hope so. But in any case, your market can make its own checks to determine whether the standards are being met. I believe I am correct in my understanding that all of your shipments of copra cake to Hawaii are sampled and analyzed by the U.S. eum 50097202 so wey Department of Agriculture. In just the same way it would seem to me that your customer for oi] could sample each shipment and not have to