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BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC . Divlsim or Biology andMedicine Atomic Bnergy Connnissim Yesterday 1went to the United Nations in New York and had a session with Mr. Nuder as you suggested. It was quite apparent that he was extremely concerned about the number ok people coming i n t o and out of Rangelap and t h e dasturbing influence resulting from this. As you mentatred, he seemed t o be less antagonistic toward our medical surveys than toward t h e University of Washington surveys. It was apparent that the Trust Territory of tiu als do not have a grasp ot the sagniticance and importance of the medical surveys. instance, I uus surprised that Mr. Nucker did not appreciate the f a c t that the body burdens of the Rongelap people had increased since their return t o Rongelap. They seem t o take the attitude that we are merely carrying out as cie nti ric experiment uslng the Rongelap people as t o emphasize the importance ot continuity in our observations of the people for the e a r l y detection of slgniticant changes that may be related to dati on so that they could be treated as soon as pos slue and that the s a it if ic value ot these s-daes was extremely important, but that this was secondary t o the former objectave, I tried to make our position i n this natter clear and Itold Mr. Nucker that w e understood his problems and were wrlling t o cooperate t o as great an extent as possible without corn promising our primary responsibilities. To this end I suggested that we might omit t h e whole-body counts on the next survey, thus avoiding the necessity ot a ship and that we c a r r y out, mth a team of some 8 men, the basic bmatologacal work and ph ys cal examinatiws. be accomplished by prior transport of necessary equipment and supplies from Kwajalein via Trust Territory ship t o Roagelap and air - lift of personnel trom Kwajaleh t o Rongelap at the time ot the survey, Nucker indicated that he would like to have Trust Terlztory medical personnel participate t o make it less obvious that it was an "AEC I readily agreed unth this and inctcated that it was highly desirable and he promised t o furnish us one American doctor8
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Dr. Ciiarles Le Dunham July 10, 1959 either Dr. Macdtmald o r Dr. COPIovert t o join the team this yearr thus reducing the number of our personae1 trom 8 t o 7. t o help us in every way possible in carrying out these plans based on this limited scope of operatioa and expressed sincere appreciation ot our willingness t o cooperate d th him in his objectives. Mr. Nucker m s disturbed about the need f o r the University ot Washington making two trips a year to the island and was most anxious that t h e i r operatim also be reduced in scope! and trequeacy, familiar enough with the program of the University of Washlngtm group t o take much of a stand on the issue. torced into accepting atull scale program tor the University of Washington group, he did not tee1 it was fair t o me t o reduce the scope of our operatioar and suggested that I contact you a t the end of next week t o rind out the end result ot a l l of this, He indicated that, if he was a0 the whole the confermce was quite satisfactory and I think that in the end we each appreciated the other's problems b e t t e r ? tesulting in coordinated &forts on both sides. ning until I have had a chance t o contact you next week, Iwill delay further plan-