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BROOK HAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES. INC . LHvxsion ot Riology and Medicine Yesterday I went to the United Nations in New York and had a session with Mr. NucJferas YOU suggested. It -s quite apparent that he was extremely concerned about the number ot people coming into and out ot Rongelap and the disturhing intluence resulting trom this. As you mentioned, he s-d to be less antagonistic toward our medical surveys than toward the University oi Washington surveys. It was apparent that the Trust Territory ofticials do not ~ve a grasp ot the signiticance and importance of the medical surveys. For instance, I WS surprised that Mr. Nucker did not appreciate the fact that the body burdens of the Raqgelap people had increased since their return to Rongelap. They seem to take the atti~ude that we are merely carrying out a scientitic e=perim-t using the Rmgelap people as “guinea pigs.’* I tried to make our positia in this matter clear and to emphasize the importance ox continuityin our observatlas of the people tor the early detection of significant changes that may be related to radiation so that they could be treated as SOCSIas possible and that the saentitic value ot these studies was extremely important~ but that this was secondary to the tormer objective. I told Mr. Nucker that we understood his problems and were willing to cooperate to as great an extent as possible without compromisingour primary responsibilities. To this end I suggested that the necessity ot a ship and that we carry out, uith a team of some 8 men, the basic hematologxcal work and physical examinati(ms. This could be accomplished by Prior transport of necessary equipment and supplies trom K~alein via Trust Terratory ship to Ralgelap and air-lift of personnel trom KwaJalein to Ragelap at the time ot the suivey. Mr. Nucker indicated that he would like to have Trust Terrztory medical personnel participate to make it less obvious that it was an “MC hiuhly de~rable and he promised to turnish us one American doctor,
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thus reducing the nuber of our personuel from 8 to help US in every way pOsSihle in carrying out a this limited scope of operation and expresskd tion ot our willingness to cooperate uith hLm in team this year, to 7. He agreed these plans based Mr. Nucker was disturbed about the need for the Umiversxty of Washington making two trips a year to the island and was most anxious that their operaticm tiso be reduced in scope and trequency. I was not familiar enough with the program of the University of Was~ngton group to take much ot l staredon the issue. He indicated that, if he -s forced into accepting a tull scale program for the University ot Washingtcm group, he did not teel it =s ttir to me to reduce the scope of our operatiUJ and suggested that I cmtact you at the end of next week to tind out the end result of all of this. W the whole the centerence was quite satisfactoryand I think that in the end we each appreciated the otherss problems better, resulting in coordinated ettorts on both sides. I will delay turther Pl~- ning mtil S have had a chance to contact you n- week.