Even in consideration of all these aspects favorable to such a study, the concluding paragraph in that section of the report listed a single reason for not conducting such studies. "In spite of these factors, the small numbers of people involved in this study (compared to the large numbers in the Japanese studies) make it unlikely that these studies will be fruitful." In effect, then, the exposed Marshallese because of the three factors mentioned, represent an almost ideal group to study for genetic effects with the exception of the overriding factor that the group is too small in number for any developments to be statistically significant. While the Committee is appreciative of the constraints imposed by both the rules and mechanics which govern the Statistical analysis -- it believes that there are more than just statistical significance, accuracy, or validity at stake here, viz., the overriding consideration in these studies should be the concern for the future welfare and peace of mind of those persons exposed and their descendants. The Committee believes that the arguments for having such studies far outweight the arguments against such. They are: 1. An absence of observed abnormalities in first generation children (in Japan) does not preclude the possibility of later developments in either the second or third generations. This is possibly indicated by the fact that children of exposed Marshallese exhibit blood cell abnormalities. 2. Data on Japanese possibly may not be relevant since almost all exposures were external, one-time and primarily due to neutron and gamma rays. The Marshallese were exposed to a considerable amount of radiation from internal contamination from long-lived fission products, over a longer period of time. lore 113 106