order to briefly observe the activities of the team or to meet with the
people
of Rongelap.
Later that dav arrangements were made to have a meeting with the people
of the island at 6:30 p.m.
At that meeting the purpose of the Committee's
Vs
accompaniment of the team, and the presence of the consultants was explained.
The Committee asked the people,
1
ey
with the examinations.
for their own health and welfare,
to cooperate
The consultants then introduced themselves.
Dr. Conard
talked about the work they would be doing and introduced the doctors on his
team.
He made three announcements:
every morning;
(2)
(1)
a feast would be held
time (3) a movie would be shown.
sick call would be at 8:00 a.m.
the following night and at
the same
He also announced that due to radiological
analvsis of crabs taken last year, the people of Rongelap would be able to
eat the crabs from Rongelap and Arbar islands at the rate of one crab per
person per day.
Then he opened the meeting to questions.
One questioner stated that they wanted someone to look after them all the
Ve
time and they hoped that full responsibility would be given to the AEC to do
this.
Dr. Conard replied that Dr. Knudsen was stationed on Kwajalein for a
year.
He said he hoped this practice could be maintained all the time, but
that it was difficult to find doctors willing to come out and do such work.
Another questioner asked why,
if the team is really interested in their
health, there is only one examination a year.
Dr. Conard replied that "We
are doing our best under the circumstances.”
A last questioner asked why there was only one crab per person per day
allowed.
Were they still radioactive?
Dr.
Conard replied
that,
"Yes,
they
were, but only slightly, and that they would take some back this year from
Eniaetok to see if they could be declared safe.
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