research in infectious disease, assay of biologic and antibiotic preparations;
diagnosis and cooperative investigation with ABCC of A-bomb survivors.
NIH was conceived and started by Americans.
The
If it had not been for the Washing-
ton cable demanding contact with Tokyo University, it is probable that ABCC
would have gone through NIH channels in offering aid and advice.
The uninten-
tional circumventing of Dr. Kobayashi and his group may have antognized the
most friendly medical segment to the United States that exists in Japan.
is difficult to explain these actions of
Dr. Kobayashi however:
It
(1) when
ABCC was designated as the single U.5. agency to handle medical problems, he
requested U.S. Army doctors to examine the petients in Yaizu; and (2) when
16 patients were placed in the Tokyo First National Hospital (under the Ministry
of Welfare), he did not use his influence to obtain permission for ABCC to
examine the patients.
There are three possible explanations:
(1) petulance
at the U.S. strengthening Dr. Tsuzguki; he would therefore try to play the
various medical groups against one another; (2) domination by Dr. Tsuzuki and
the Tokyo University group, so that he did not dare fight on this issue; or
(3) agreement betiieen Drs. Kobayashi and Tsuzuki that the Japanese doctors should
"eo it alone",
It was also unfortunate thet the press headlined the Fukuryu Karu incident
just as a U.S. Congressman was in Japan following a trip to Bikini.
4BCC first heard of thé radiated crewmen.
On 16 Marbh
That night Dr. itaki, WIH representa-
tive in Hireshima, left for the port tow of Yaizu on instructions from NIH in
Tokyo and presumably the Ministry of lelfare.
The following day, Dr. Tsuzuki
inVited A5CC to sce the tio patients et TUH.
On the evening of 18 March 1954,
Dr. aki reported to Dr. Norton in Tokyo on the condition of 20 patients he had
US DCE ARCE IVES
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