STANDARD Ford WO. 64
BOS A 4
Office Memorandum e UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO
Dwight Ink, Assistant General
FROM
H. A. Stanwood, Jr., Assistant Director for
Administration, Division of Biology & Medicine
SUBJECT:
RE SECRETARY SEATON'S CALL TO CHAIRMAN MC CONE
RELATIVE TO MARSHALLESE PEOPLE MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
SYMBOL:
DATE: November 20, 1959
Manager for Administration
BMA: HAS
Attached are copies of exchange of correspondence relative to the
above subject,
The pertinent points seem to be as follows:
(1) There is no medical examination of the Marshallese people
planned for until approximately the spring of 1961; even then
it will be subject to review and approval by the officials of
the Trust Territory.
(2)
Dr. Robert Conard of the Brookhaven National Laboratory and
leader of the earlier examination teams is presently visiting the
islands but only for the purpose of confering with medical officials
there and with the approval of the Trust Territory.
(3) It seems unfortunate that the Trust Territory officials consider
the medical surveys as using the Rongelap people as "guinea pigs" in
carrying out a scientific experiment, when in fact there is considerable
importance to continuity in the observations of the people for the
early detection of significant Ehemges that may be related to radia-~
tion so that they can be treated as soon as possible. In this connection there has been a rise in the body burden of the Rongelap people
since their return to Rongelap although this in itself is not neces~
sarily of great significance,
In summary there is neither medical examinations or area surveys
planned in the near future,
Attachments:
,
cc of memo dtd 11/3/59
ce of memo dtd 11/6/69
cc of ltr dtd 11/6/59
US DOE ARCHIVES
326 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY
COMMISSION
OG41
Collection
Ina
Box
S59I2D
FolderBiology And Medicine
406