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INFORMATION FOR THE PRESS
NO. 70
December 1, 1947
Tel. EX. 1616, Brs. 307,308
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UNITED STATES
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
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FOR SIMULTANEOUS RELEASE WITH
USARC RELEASE NO, 69, et 7:00 PM,
EST, MONDAY, DRCEMBFR 1, 1947
INFORMATION FOR THE PRESS PREPARED IN COLLABORATION
WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF STaTR
AND
THE
NaTIONAL MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT
TO SUPPLEM"NT THE STATSMINT OF
THE UNITSD STATES ATOMIC ENERGY
COMMISSION ON THE FSTABLISHM"NT OF PACIFIC SXPSKIMENTAL INSTALLATIONS
The purpose of the installations now under construction in the Pacific
is to provide a suitable arca for the continuing conduct of a wide range of field
work to establish by experimentation the indicated results of laboratory studies
curried out in facilities of the atomic Energy Commission. The scientific and
technical operations of tho proving ground wil] provide new fundamental data
and @ broader understanding of the phenomena of nuclear fission which will
facilitate advances in peaceful as well as in military applications of atomic
energy.
All test operations will be under laboratory control conditions, with
full security restrictions as required by the atomic Bnergy nct of 1946,
The area of the instullations will be closed as a safcguarding measure
as provided for in the United Nations Trusteeship Agreement for the former
Japanese mandated islands, and the Security Council of the United Netions will
be duly notified to this effect,
Eniwotok Atoll was selceted as the site for the proving grounds after
the careful consideration of all available Pacific Islands. Bikiniis not suitable
as the site since it lacks sufficient lund surfuce for the instrumentation
necessary to the scientific observations which must be made. Of other possible
sites, Eniwetok has the fowcest inhabitants to be cured for, approximately 145, and
what is very important from a radiological standpoint, it is isolated and there
are hundreds of miles of open seas in the direction in which winds might carry
radioictive particles,
Construction will be supported through the Hawaiian Islands, Johnston
Island ond Kwajelein Island,
The permanent transfer elsewhere of the island people now living on
Aomon and Biijiri Islands in Eniwetcok Atoll will be necessary. They are not now
living in their original ancestral homes but in temporeary structures provided for
them on the two foregoing islands to which they were moved by United States forces
during the war in the Pacific, after they hud scattered throughout the Atoll to
avoid being pressed into labor service by the Japanese and Yor protection against
military operations. The sites for the new homes of the local inhabitants will
be selected by them.
The inhabitants eoncerned wil] be reimbursed for lands
utilized and will be given every assistance and care in their move to, and
REPOSITORY
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