64

DASA 2019-2

that the whole episode was being exaggerated, despite the fact that at
that time the blood counts were dropping at an alarming rate.
So, the Japanese understandably were reluctant to have Americans
publicly come in and check up on what they were doing. On the other
hand, John Morton and his staff were given every courtesy. They

looked at the blood; they stood there while the blood was being sam-

pled.

They could poke the fishermen and talk with them.

got involved in this ina peculiar way.

I myself

[think you'll find it on the

front page of that Saturday Evening Post article (Reference 5) where
it says that I wasn't allowed to see the fishermen because ! wasn'ta
doctor. Quite the reverse is true. I went to Yaizuto see the ship

and had no idea of seeing the fishermen because it was almost an
impossible situation, [had been told that the hospital was a small

hospital, that the patients were sitting on mats on the first floor,
that there were hundreds of people milling around and that there
must have been 40 or 59 reporters, and I didn't see how it could be
useful for me to go to see the fishermen even ona courtesy basis,
although I was anxious to make some physical measurements on
them.
Well, at lunch that day the Mayor of Yaizu indicated quite strongly
that the fishermen would be hurt, knowing I was in town, if I didn't
come to see them, So, I aid go there and I made enough very superficial measurements to ascertain that their thyroids were veryhot,
Itook samples of their hair and asked for some skin scrapings, which
I took with me, These were sent to New York and analyzed subsequently.
DUNHAM: I'm interested in what you said about the velitions with
Morton and yourself because a lot of Americans got very upset with
the idea that the Japanese didn't invite you-to take uver,
E:SENBUD,.
DUNHAM:

have been.

That's right.
You weren't invited; there's no reason why you should

As George Le Roy™ said, how would we feel if the situa-

tion had been reversed and a couple of so-called experts from Japan
came over and were to demand total access and taking over of the

* Dr. George LeRoy ‘vas then on the faculty of the University of
Chicago and was consultant to the AEC and to the medical team that
was responsible for the care of the Rongelapese.

Select target paragraph3