ATTACHMENT 16




                                                 February 2, 1961
Honorable Delmas H. Nucker
High Commissioner
Trust Territory of Pacific Islands
Box 542
"illegible", GUAM

Dear Mr. Nucker:

You will recall our recent conversations at the Department of
Interior.  At that time you suggested that we draft a statement
setting forth for the benefit of the Rongelap people the reasons
for the continuing health and food surveys which are undertaken
at Rongelap by United States doctors and scientists from the
Brookhaven National Laboratory and the University of Washington
Radiobiology Laboratories. I have prepared such a statement,
including estimates of the proposed frequency and extent of our
future studies which we hope will meet with the approval of the
Rongelap people.

If you agree with the enclosed statement I would appreciate it
very much if you would transmit it to the Rongelap people.  On
the other hand, if you have any suggestions to offer on the
enclosed document, I would appreciate receiving them.

                              Sincerely yours,


                              Charles L. Dunham, M.D.
                              Director
                              Division of Biology and Medicine

D/C Navy Dept Medical following

Enclosure 
Statement

cc:  Mr. George Milner
     Office of Territories
     Department of Interior

     Dr. Robert Conard, BNL

REPOSITORY     Washington National Records Center
COLLECTION     32681-6
BOX No.        Box 1
FOLDER

OFFICE    DIR B&M   
SURNAME   
DATE      2-2-61    
Form AEC-318 (Rev. 9-53)      
U.S. Government Printing Office 16--62761-3


                     TO THE PEOPLE OF RONGELAP

     Those of you who were on Rongelap and on Ailingae on March
1, 1954 were exposed to radioactive fallout for two days.  Those
of you  who were on Rongelap received approximately 175 units of
exposure plus exposure from radioactive materials which you may
have eaten or which may have been in your water supply at the
time.  Those of you who were on Ailingnae received less
radiation.  You have all recovered well from the original effects
and your skin burns have healed.  Why then do we need to examine
you carefully at regular intervals when you are not sick?

     There are two reasons for this.  The first reason is for
your own protection.  We know from other studies that there is
only a very little chance that any of you will have any further
sickness from the fallout.  On the other hand, there is some
chance.  One or more of you might sometime show some delayed or
late sickness.  For your own welfare and as part of our continued
concern for your good health it is important to discover these
effects should they occur.  If we can discover them by the health
studies and examinations before you feel sick, we can treat them
better than if we discover them after you feel sick.

     The other reason we do the health studies is of no direct
value to you.  They help us to understand better the kinds of
sickness caused by radiation.  The United Nations has a special
scientific committees to study these things and the information
we get from our work here is made available to that committee and
to the whole world.

     The health studies should be conducted each year.  About six
to eight people from the United States with the assistance of
Trust Territory doctors would conduct the examinations at
Rongelap in two weeks time.  The iron room studies would not be
repeated sooner than five to 10 years from now depending on what
is learned from the food studies.

     Besides the health studies we also wish to continue the
studies of your soil, water, and food.  We are interested in
learning about the radioactivity in the foods you eat, even
though we are certain that except for the coconut crabs there is
not enough radioactivity in your food at the present time to be
harmful.  We would like to find out where these radioactive
materials go, where they might become concentrated, and how long
it takes for them to disappear.  To do this we need to study the
soils, plants, animals, and waters of your atoll for many years. 
Also we wish to observe the effects of fertilizers in the soils
of your islands.  These studies will help you to grow better
crops.  They can be done along with the other studies.

     To do these studies on your soil, water and foods, we must
visit your island and those nearby twice every other year, once
during the rainy season and once during the dry season.  Each
visit would involve 12-18 men for 2-3 weeks in the Rongelap Atoll
at Cabelle Island.  During this time 6 to 8 men would spend a few
days on Rongelap Island itself.

     We greatly appreciate your cooperation and assistance with
these studies in the past six years.  I hope you will permit us
to continue them in the future.

February 2, 1961                   Charles L. Dunham, M.D.