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with our medical team since we were doing what was good for you. Since
the Congress of Micronesia recognized that a lot of the misunderstandings
were due to lack of communication between the medical team and the people,
they have advocated several measures which they hope will improve this
situation. We are cooperating with the Congress of Micronesia and the
Trust Territory in doing this.
First let me say that at the time we
examine you that we try to let you know through a Marshallese practitioner
or interpreter what the results of the examination are, and what treatment
we recommend, if you are sick. As you know the Congress of Micronesia
through their committee on Rongelap and Utirik has written a long report
concerning the medical surveys.
They have written a summary report of
this which is being translated into Marshallese to be distributed to you.
This summary will include a summary also of the mesical observers reports.
The Trust Territory is also preparing a booklet on the effects of fallout
radiation on the Rongelap and Utirik people. This booklet is based on
answers to questions that you have asked about fallout.
This booklet is
in preparation and will be distributed to you before long.
It is also
planned to have visits by the Trust Territory Health Service personnel
to Rongelap and to Utirik to talk to the people about effects of radiation and answer questions.
I would like to talk now a little bit about what happened to the
Japanese people who were exposed to the bomb in 1945,
There were thousands
and thousands of people there who were exposed to more radiation than the
Rongelap people received.
Many of these people died because of the large
amount of radiation that they received.
Children of the exposed Japanese
people have been examined by the best doctors in the world to see if there
was any radiation sickness that was handed down from the parents to the
children.
These doctors could find no evidence that there was any radia-
tion sickness handed down from the parents,
We have examined the children
of the Rongelap people who were exposed and we have not seen any effects
that have been handed down to your children.
I am glad to be able to reassure you on this point.
Some of the Japanese people have developed
leukemia, a cancer of the blood. With the possible exception of Lekoj
we have not seen any case of death from any effect that could be related
to radiation exposure in the Rongelap or Utirik people.
In 1954 the same
accident that affected the Rongelap people also affected 23 Japanese fishermen who were 100 miles north of Rongelap.
Some of these fishermen received
larger doses than did the Rongelap people.
One death occurred among the
fishermen but the doctors do not believe that this death was related to
radiation effects.
The Japanese fishermen received about one half the
compensation that the Rongelap people received.
At this point I would
like to say that I had a great deal to do with helping get compensation
for the Rongelap people in 1964, and want you to know that I am in favor
of your receiving further compensation for your injuries.
I would like now to say a few words about the little bit of radiation
that is left on Rongelap Island.
Some of the people have been worried
about radiation in the food. Some will not eat arrowroot flour because
they believe that it contains "radiation poison."
JI would like to say
SOE ARCHIVES
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