Q: A: Did you receive any compensation for trees, etc.? "No. But we saw a surprising phenomenon: coconut trees with three or four heads. Previously we produced 30-40 tons of copra for three months. Then the Japanese destroyed all. in 1954." It was just coming up Receive any other compensation? "Yes. $5,030 total for personal belongings, received in Aijit." How many people were stuck outside Rongelap and couldn't return? "300 some. These people although not living on Rongelap considered Rongelap their home because they were born there and had land there." The people of Rongelap estimated that they could have produced 10 tons of copra per month and the people of Utirik estimated that they could have produced 30-40 tons for the three-month period. The average price for copra at that time was about $100 per ton for the outer-islands, this would yield a figure of about $3,000 for three months production of copra as opposed to the $240 per three months the people were given. Compensation from the U.S. Government for the Rongelapese The story which leads to the conclusion of how the people of Rongelap received compensation from the United States is a long one in terms of distances, for the original incident took place in the Marshalls, and subsequent events took place elsewhere in Micronesia, on Guam, then in New York, and finally Washington, D.C. before the story is completed. The story also spans a length of time equal to the distances between the cities mentioned--in stark contrast to the speedy payment of $2 ,000 ,000 to the Japanese Government barely less than 10 months after the incident occurred--for it was nearly 10 years before this money was appropriated “v the U.S. Congress and some time later before the people actually TD M' PSL I Cs Seek ae RCT T ILE: Te n ‘i Ar m te yb TSS Re 3 ieee ao Mae eae : Neg ro tae’ i wot . an . 2 Wim Oye ae . hee n taba Head “ * '