by the univexse square ration rule, emanating from the bomb would be highly unlikely. .“. . ,. -. ,.. .... .-. ._ ... . .. .. .. -,---- . ., -. .. immediately I think the ill effects still persisting on these islands is not only due to soil contamination but is also due to entry of the radioactive elements with a longer ~ half life into the food, where it has been biologically Whether the concentrated, and is eaten by the people. material that contains the radioisotopes is in one particular vegetable or several or whether it is in the fish One would think, that if or birds, I simply do not know. the food-chain exposure me lagoon fish were involved, would involve only a few islands since I am told that If the large lagoon fish usually stay in their lagoon. fish on the seaside that swim between atolls are involved and carry radioactivity in their flesh, these fish also being eaten by the islanders, one would expect a wider diffusion of the effects of the radioactivity, -- k7hich There certainly would be diffusion is xhat has happened. by birds and actual transfer from one atoll to another of radioactive material in the excrex,ent of birds flying between the attols. The wide diff-~sion of radioactive effects amongthe islands of the ?iarshalls, strongly suggests entry into This “ the food chain witlh transportation between islands. is as yet only an opini,on. Yet otherwise one must assume that the fallout just s~mply was so high, and has spread so far beyond that estimated by ouq finest nuclear scientists that distant islands and distant atolls in the Marshalls were ii~volved, bringing about the radiati;n effects that I have described. To my knowledge, two cases of leukemia were found, one in a high government officer, and the other in a boy. I am suspicious also that radiation There may be others. plays a part here also because of the frequency of leukemia in the Nagasaki-Hiroshima survivors. -.., , .. . . . ----.-.: .-.. the tumors of the thyroid I think that these three: . -5- ,.