LA. dines tars! (5) Bikini Islanders Lose Aqain to Radiation Ceatinved from Sth Page High doses of radiation from these lsotopes are known to cause various types of cancer in man. but scientists debate the cancer msk from relatively low doses such a$ those to which the Bikinians have been exposed. In general, smentists have found that the lower the dase, the fower the risk that cancer will develop over a penod of years. The people living on Bikini were ordered either to eal no coconuts or to ralion themselves to one a day. But they were told the coconuts from Eneu were suil safe. The Trust Terrtory government initiated a feechng program. Except for fish and fowl, the May, “We can show that Eneu is tower (in radioactivity) by a factor of 10 than Bikini Island »». Encu could de a residence island without fesiricuons. which means you can eat the fish oy catch in the lagoon, you can grow any crop. “m convinced that Lhese Eneu (test) crops are going to show very much lower levels than the jam numbers,” At the Department of the Intenor, Ruth Yan Cleve, chief of termtomal affairs; John DeYoung. By February of this year. it was official poli- her top assistant and High Commussioner Winkel ail thought Eneu was the most accepta-: ble second choice of the Sikiruans. But now all three were cautious about the data they were getung from the Energy Deparuvent, "Ali we can do at any stage is listen fo what the experts say-—and hope they're right,” Mrs. Van Cleve said. In conwast to 1968, the news was nof an- safe for resettlement} were based on availabie people were to eat nothing but U.S. Department of Agriculture surplus food. ey: Bikini was unfit for people to live on. pounced to the world by the President of the United Slates, It was rather quietly passed along to Congress in the form of a money request Underseeretary of the Lntenor James A. Joseph. in asking Congress for a $15 mullion appropriation to relocate the people of Bilan, explained the tragedy in low-key, bureaucratic style “It became evident that radionuthde intake in the plant food chain had been significantly miseaiculated in terms of human consumpicn... The restriction on the use of coconut products produced on Bikini Istand for food and export make (it). . . unrealistic as a permanent piace of settlernent. He wrote that Eneu Island appeared to be the ‘most feasible allernative place to resetile the 500 persons who had earlier imcated they even- tually wanted to Jive on Bikini Island, but added that a email number wouid likely choose to remain on Kili “Analysis,” he wrote “reveals that these Eneu Island coconuts can be used for food and “The dectnons of 1967-68 (that Bikin! was! knowledge.” Winkel sad. “And now we are in i the same posiuon, The decisions we makenow will be based on avaliable knowledge. . But Jess than two weeks later, there was bad new: for the Bikimans. The report on the April whole body counts on the Bikinans showed a startling increase in internal radiation doses. The readings ranged wp to 98, nearly double the federal safety standard of 5 rems Including the external rad:abon dosage of .2, the sameag in the past, the top reading was 1.18, At the same ume, and just ag startlingly, pre-imi Tesults of Lesung on coconuts grown on Eneu showed radioacunty jeveis tive to sx times higher than had been expected Testifying at the May 22 sesuon of the Yates SE ‘We wouldlike you to keep your promise to. the Bikini people, to take care of us." posnble future copra export,” Joseph proposed that $73 million be spent Lo thake Eneu Livable and $2 million be invested in ving conduons at Kill mid-March. Rep. Sidney RL Yates (D-0L), chairman of the House interior subcommutiee on appropriations, opened the first of 2 Series of SEE subcomunitiee, birs Van Cleve said the latest Bakimans. At the April 12 session of the Yates subcommittee, Trust Territory officials testified that it was their belief Bikini [sland would be off hits for 30 to 50 years but that Eneu, 10 mies away, was likely 10 be a safe site for pe. manent tesetUement. - Adrian Winkel, current high commissioner of the Trust Terntory, tesufied that, “even know. tng of the danger,” Lhose already living on Bikioi Island wanted to stay Lhere and that there Was some indication others from Kil) wanted to join them on the condemned homeisland. The subcommittee was told that final determination of whether Eneu was safe for per. manent relocation could not be made until about Jan. 1, 1979, when radioactivity levels of fruit and vegclables grown in an ental as the alternative site of the permanentreset- hearings on the moneybill and the plight of the garden plot on the isiand would be made known by the Department of Energy. But the witnesses agreed that the Bikinians could remain where they were without harm until Janu ft if they just stuck to the rues and tefrancd from eating the coconuts—untess, they added in qualification, the medical tests (whole body counts) lo be made en the Bilaniana later in Apnl showed aharp pumps in miter- hal rarbation dosage. And that was not expected. McCraw, now chief of special projects branch of the Energy Department's drvunon of en- vironmental safety, said in an loterview in early —owrewer ase results required a [ast ayeshaul of plans ust sne said, although there was no imme~ diate hazard to their heaith, the pecple must be removed from Bikum Island within 90 days, Second, it appeared that Enew must be rujed out l the same session, al the head of a small delegation of Bikim leaders, was Magistrate Tomaki Juda, son of the man who was chief in 1946. Although born on Bikini, the 36-year-old Tomaki was loo young to remember details of the first removal But he had heard stores of that &meall hus iife. He repealed one now to the subcommittee: ‘When the naval officer had told the people they must jeave the island a generation ago, he had com them “to the children of Israel whom the Lord saved from their enemy and led into the promused land” It had not worked out that way, “We are more akin lo the children of [sraei when they feft Egypt and wandered throush the desert for 40 years.” the dark-skunned, dignufied Bikinian said. “We teft Bikini and have wandered through the ocean for 2 years, and we will never return Lo our promised land” In fact Tomakr was back on Biluni on June 1, along with High Commusaoner Winkel. but only to break the news lo the people and to digcuss with them where hey wanted Lo go. Winkel’s recommendauons were read into the record at the June 19 meeting of the Yates subcomauttee. He noted that those living on Bikin} Island told him that if they could not remain there, or at least on Eneu, they preferred to move to “public domain” land in Bawasi or ta the mainland of the United States. He said the maonty of those lining on Kili apparently preferred to remain Lhete. But, he added, some wanted Lo join the Bikins rendents wherever they might be relocated. Further tests on Eneu foodstuffs would be required before the island could be finally ruled ouL Winkel said. But he was not opumustc. And, without quite spelling it out, he seemed to distrusa the thought of relocating the Bucimans in Hawaii or on the mainland “On the basis of ali the factors,” Winkel summed up, “it is my decision that the people of Buunj Isfand should be relocated to Kuli Island at thus time." Winkel's statement to the subcommittee on the Bukinians’ preferences was accurate as far as it went But, from Times interviews with more than a dozen Buamans on ther condemned island last month, it was apparent the thigh commusnoner faded to convey the depth of ther feelings. especially ther reluctance to be resettled in the Marshalls, partculariy on Kuli “Kil.” they sad again and again, “1s bad, Kili is ne good.” With only one excepuon, they said they wished to be resettled in Hawai or Flonda. Muton Anien. born on another isiand but marned into 2 Bikins family, put it thus way: “We would like ta be with you in America always. We like you. We would like you to keep your promise to the Bukini people, ip take care of us. “You made a promise to the Bikini peopre, so we would like to come live with you —and you can support the people of Bikinj as much as you can—live with you so the Amencan doctors can watch me and my family because [ worry about the radiation, worry about Lhe radiation mght after night, . . Everybody here says thus.” Magistrate Tomaki Juda, appearing before the subcommuttee once again, said thal although there was deep sorrow and biticrness among his people and although “Life on Kuli is difficult,” he concurred i Lhe high commussioner's decision to relocate them at least temporaruy on that isJan Then he suggested practical measures which ‘he said were necessary to make Kull livable— construcuon of 4 2,000-foot airstnp and an allweather, all-season pier, establishment of a medical dispensary, a new school, renovation of homes and commuruty factunes, Considerauon also should be given, he said, to relocaing some of the people on Jabwor[sland at Jaiunt AtolL The Buuni jeader also Made it clear that in addiuoo to relocaling the peoole, and making they new homeland livablé, the Uruted Slates had further financial obligauons, IL was too soon to discuss details, he said, but, “we feel that our people, especially the elderiy ones, are enbtied lo compensation from the Unuted States, for their removal from Bikini and for the virtual destrucuon of Bikuni and other islands.” Congress has now approved the £15 mullion for refocaung the Bikiuans, and Swiding materials are being Purchased for the lemporary housing for them on Kili Plans are under way for the Kill pier, al- though some persons familiar with the surf conditions do not Believe it 1g feasible, oo Planning also goes ahead for the final removal of the poopie from Bukini next month, Ome last matter: Ruth Van Cleve said in Washington that, although old Andrew Jakeo cannot conanue to live on Bikinu, at is possible that after tus death he could be burned there with his ancestors, But she added, “If think we would want to get firm word on that from the ecrentsts,”