313 YB f vA ~2- Jemes L. Liverman that misunderstanding and I anticipate success. Hovever, thero is a decper misunderstanding which derlyes, I believe, from the very fact of Dr. Conard's appointment. Dy. Conard is accepted and recogiized ag an authority on rediation-induced illness. The Hay 1969 press rolease took notice of his "15 years af experience in worldng with the people of the Marshall Islands", end the people of the Harshells, today, associate that experience with thyroid ebnormalities, miscerriases and | fetal leukemia. Is dt not then ressonchle to expect the sane sorts of things in the roturning Bilcini populetion? Otheridse, why send Dr. Conerd?. . .or any medical surveillance team? These are difficult questions to answer, espectally for responsible and careful U. S. officials who must acknowledge that there are elevated rediation levels at Bikini and who decline to use such terms as "perfectly safe", etc. There are also those in the Harshalls who rationalize that since wo are proposing to return people to Bikini, where some exceptional medical surveillance is required, we are deliberately planning to expose pcople to Bikini radiation in furtherance of our ow research interests. In 4n interview which I gave to the Editor of the Kicronesian Independent en route returning from Kili, I made the following statement which was reported verbatint "Our primary concern in recorsending continuing monitoring is ths heelth and safcty of the people returning." Then the writer ecitortalises: "Ho (Ray) nevor mention (sic) whet EXDA's implied secondary concern of continued monitoring is," hisewhere this writer strongly implies that HEDA's real interest is in cbteining date. Ths concern of ths pconple ig undcrstendceble. We havo left roon for a completely rational (albeit incorrect) interprotetion of the facts. We have done en insufficiently precise end thorough job of informing the Department of the Interior, the Admintstration of the Trust Territory end the effected populations of our purposes end our plens,. Cur recent experience at Kili andeBildni, and ovr earlier experience with the psople of Fnewetek, indicate the need and the real value of frequent and candid direct dialog with the people. Through this means, I belicve that we can and will gain uwierstanding and acceptance of . our actions. oe 5052147 ~ PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED +