responsibility for foreign affairs, meluding marine resources. However. the United States would maintain fuil responsibility for security and defense and would be allowedcertain land rights for these purposes. During the 15 years of the Compact, the Marshall Islands would receive an estimated $750,000,00D in financial aid in addition to other assistance. B. ProblemsAffecting the Program” Some ofthe difficulties experienced in carrying out the medical examinationsaccurred mostly in the earlier years and were related to the lack of knowledge of the people about radiation effects and the need for extensive examina_ tions. We were trying to explain acomplicated subject hampered by the janguage barrier, and were often uncertain about the transiation of our statements into Marshallese. The _ Marshallese are a very polite people and reluctant to express displeasure, so that it was difficult at times to know their true feelings. Not unreasonably, some people harbared suspicions about our motivations. We represented the American presence on their island and were considered part of the AEC (the “AEC doctors’), which had developed the bomb and brought about the catastrophic events that had dis- ruptedtheir lives. There wereincreasing,criti- cismsby localpoliticians and outside groups, particularly in Japan,regardingthe handling of the aftermath of the nucieaztesting program. There were criticisms regarding the medical care of the exposed people and the suggestion was made that theMershallese:had been.delib- erately exposed to fallout to study theeffects of radiation. In spite of these influences, the people continued to be friendly and cooperative, and, as time went on, became more cognizantof the importance of the examinations, particularly after the developmentof thyroid problems and the death from leukemia. However, there continued to be a smolderingdistrust of the AEC’s environmental and medical reports of the radiological safety of Rongelap, which eventually led 8The problems discussed in this Chapter mainly concern the examunationas of the Rongelap and Utirik peepie. Problems related to the Bikin: people are discussed in Chapter VIII. Probiems related to the evacuation and resettlement of the Enewetak people will not be discussed in this report since our medical team were not involved in examining that group. 38 5ogu164 them to evacuate theisland in 1985. Amata Kabua, Marshallese Senatorin the Congress of Micronesia during our early surveys, questioned the need for the extensiveness of the examinations. Therefore, before our annual visit to Rongelap in 1963, we met with him and expiained the need for the examinations. On our arrival at Rongelap, the people were at first reluctant to be examined, but learning that Kabua had approved, they cooperatedfully. Beginning about 1970, problems developed from an unexpected quarter: Japan. | had visited Japan on several occasions to confer with the doctors at the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (now the Radiation Effects Research Foundation) in Hiroshima and Nagasaki about the effects of radiation on humans and treatment of the exposed populations. Also, I had been corresponding with T. Kumatori, Director of the National Institutes of Radiological Sciences, who was in charge of the annual examinationsof the fishermen exposed on the Lucky Dragon. We agreed that it would be mutually beneficial for me to participate in the examinations of the fishermen and for him to participate in the examinationsof the Marshallese. Therefore, in 1964, I went to Japan and he returned with me to the Marshall Islands... : an So When arrived it'Japéin, I wassurprised at : eat wheres. 3 As the amountof publicity given to the examina- tions and theextent ofthe strong emotional reaction ofthe Japanese totheexposureof the fishermen on the LuckyDragon,ta.theeffects on their fishing industry, andto fallout effects in the Marshall Islands (B-49). The Congress of Micronesia formed a “Special Joint Committee on Rongelap and Utirik” to look into the situation. In July, 1971, the Committee visited Japan to learn about the aid being given the Japanese people who had been exposed to radiation (B-50); they were impressed with the treatment being given. Later, they visited Rongelap and Utirik and interviewed the people there (B-51). The Committee reported that the people were uncertain aboutthe effects of radiation and what they were being treated for: they wanted more frequent treatment. Further, they felt that the compensation they had received was inadequate compared with the compensa- tion the Japanesefishermen hadreceived. As result of their investigations, the Committee planned to ask an independent med-