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UNITED STATES
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON 25, D.C,
Sugust 12, 1958
Nir, James T, Ramey
Executive Director
Joint Committee on Atomic Energy
Congress of the United States
Dear Mr, Ramey?
My Jetter of July 23, 1958, advised you of reported
redtoacsivity aboard the Japanese ship TAKUYO MARU in tne
western Pacific and low white blood counts of ten of the ship's
crew members,
Subsequent developments in this incident are
as follows,
The Joint Task Force SEVEN medical team consisting cf
medical and technical personnel arrived at the Port of Rataul
on duly 25th,
The team has completed an investigation of the
ine.gcont and advises that their findings confirm these reporied
car hor by Rabaul authorities,
The Rabaul authorities earlier
Pe;
2d thnat the situation aboard the TAKUYO MARU vas not
sericcs
et
and Lihat there was no reason to delay departure of the
i
vugsel
from Rabaul,
ne Leas has returned to Eniwetok and has submitted a
‘port by wira on their findings,
Their report of the investigamon of the ducitent of alleged ra@ioactive falious on the
Jocencse shipe TAKUYO MARUand SATSUMA MARU on or about July 14,
195% @lscuszses:
(a) the physical contenInction cf the ships
ana cvew members, and (b) the resuits of the medica exeanination
of the Jepenese crews,
From tnis report and other information 1t appears quite
possible that the rainfall Unat occurred on the TAXJYO MARU did
contain radiozctive fallout from the tests at Eniketok Froving
The emount of this fallout was not sufficient co have
Ground,
The ship's
caused radiation sickness in the crew members,
Log (TAKUYO MARU) stated there was an increase in radiation
levels to ebout 15 times background reaGings,.
(Values higher
than this are frequently observed in cc“munities around the
Nevada Test Site during weapons tests.)
It is not clear xt
this time jues how these measirenents were teken, but even if
they represented a 15 fold temporary increase in whole body
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