HOUSE JOURNAL -~ 16th DAY before the arrival of the team and attending newmen (sic) insisted that ‘time is precious’ and demanded a definite decision and 'the temporarily denied raason thereof.’ , . "It was in this context that the medical tear ond? entourage actually arrived on Nec. 7. (n Dec. 6, Rep. Balos had requested MLSC to step into the case and formally represent himself and the Ronge lapMunicpal (sic) Council in the continuing negotiations with the AG. Neither Ataji nor myself had any knowledge of the actual ingress into the TT of the group. Ataji had assumed that they would remain in Japan until permission had been obtained from Saipan. Each of the members of the group obtained a US visa in Japan and apparently decided to enter the Trust Territory as tourists and clear up the * business of government approval to do their actual work after their arrival. It should also be noted that the group had made a rather ,, confused and incomplete application to Saipan before their departure. The initial application stated that only one doctor was in the party and listed additional members as ‘labor leaders.' wed - ' “The medical team was sponsored by the Gensuikon, the Japan +Congress against Nuclear Weapops. This organization is based in », Hiroshima and is informally affiliated with the Socialist Party in ‘Japan. Gensuikon is not, hewever, a distinctly political organization and, ’ ’ according to the newsmen accompanying the party, receives broad \ Support from a number of political elements in Japan. “Rep. Balos initially corttacted Gensuikon during a visit to * Japan in August, 1971. At that time, he explained to Gensuikon ‘that as representative of the people of Utrik (sic) and Rongelap he had received continuous, factually sound complaints from the people of these islands concerning injuries resulting from nuclear fall-out _ and, also, the failure of the ARC field teams to treat many individual victims or properly report. the ecological and physical deterioraticn , accruing on the islands as a result of the March 1954 bomb tests on . Bikini. Gensuikon had been instrumental in assiting (sic) the crew . Members of the Lucky Dragon, the Japanese fishing boat affected by the Bane Cn test, in their efforts to obtain compensation from the U.S. government. Perhaps for that reason, Gensuikon agreed to organize: and sponsor a medical team to visit the Utirik and Rong lap atolls."The team was headed by Dr. imi Honda, & specia: >t in internal ‘Medicine and member of Gensuikon. At the request of |. ‘la Thomas, ‘the head of the Ronglap (sic) Municipal Council, Dr. * -ous Exaki 4 affiliated himself with the effort. Dr. Ezaki is a yr «imminent: (sic) specialist in thyroid disorder: caused by radiation nq is head,of the Department of Radiology at the University of Hire ‘ima. The: remainder of the group was composed of two members of «= nsuikon ti Serve as assistants to the doctors, a tianslator and i -cographer Pour newsmen from the Largzst newspapers, in Japan attended the te mm. One individual who was returning to Mic}cnesia from Japan on the @anz'plane as the medical team stated that at least fifty people : from ottct news sources and live television coverage attended the depa cure of the group from the Tokyo airpert en tec, 6th. “On the morning of Gec. 8)-1971, : Lo” a meating was held in the Nirijela we Chambers attended by myself, lep. Balos and the contingent from Jaran.: This was my first knowledge of the mediual cam's (sic) actual presence in Majuro. They explained that they “hae, entered as tourists and requeste:! tha wo Cake immetiate steps to obtain per|}sssion (sic) to change that .cetus uo thiy could begin thoir work. -A hectic axamination of to! -102= de