REPOSITORY COLLECTION RE Se a Do e/ PASO Deé [ny v Bla S GR yee (fF70-1neD) FOLDER Ma sf - /969 May 16, 1969 Mr. W. H. Reagan Public Information Officer Loa Alamos Scientifie Leboratory P, 0. Box 1663 Loa Alamos, New Mexico 87544 Dear Bill: BEST COPY AVAILABLE This replies to your recent telephone call regarding Bikini. I talked to my man, Joe Merrill, at Bikini by radio telephone and he in turn talked to Dr. Jack Tobin who has giver the following information: On Enyu they plan to plant about 40,000 coconut palms. They will aleo plant breadfruit, pandanus and bananas. The quantity of the Last three is umestimated. On Bikini they plan to plant about 60,000 coconut palms as well as an unknown quantity of breadfruit, pandanus and bananas. Jack Tobin seems to recall there were about 170 to 180 Bikinfans taken off the atoll in 1946. We have re- eearched our files and find that Dr. Tobin wrote a paper in 1967 which gives a figure of 166 natives removed from the @toll on March 6, 1946. I suggest you use the figure of 166 since this can be substantiated with ea written report by a Trust Territory representative. It ia interesting to note that the Trust Territory estimates there are about 530 natives who hold some sort of property rights at Bikini Atoll and are thus eligible to return {f they wish. Thie estimate is further broken down ag 330 on Kili and about 200 at other island locations. With regard to your request for glass balls, I have inquired into this in my telephone call to Bikini. We will have to OFFICE » _ Mgr.