DECLASSIFIED Authority fJ NOqS q l • lW b I 11 13 - ff D6 · 1W · ------ THE DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE UNITED NATIONS 614 MJ b ' 1'54 Two Park A venue New York 16 New York August 4 1954 · Dear Dave Prior to his departure for Africa Mason Sears sent Ambassador Lodge his views on a number of questions relating to nuclear tests in the Pacific Trust Territories i1r Sears pointed out that the Indian proposal for an International Court of Justice opinion on the legality of our using the Trust Territories for tests will probably be on the agenda of the 9th General Assembly and that information on the consequences of the radio-active fall-out after the test of March 1 1954will have to be included in the United States Report to the United Nations on its administration of the Trust Territory He felt in particular that two aspects of the problem should be followed up promptly to minimize possible future repercussions on this issue that could be damaging to United States interests The first of these is that we must avoid a recurrence of the accident which caused injury to a number of Yfiarshallese as well as Americans and Japanese Should there be a repetition of the accident we might have difficulty obtaining the support of even our closest allies in the United Nations in our attempt to justify continuation of nuclear experiments in the Trust Territory The second matter relates to our undertakings to compensate the peoples of the Trust Territory who as a result of nuclear tests have suffered damage to their health property or capacity to gain a livelihood In this connection Mr Sears points out that the slowness in making a settlement of compensation promised the people of Bikini who were removed from their home island in 19 46 is causing increasing' t The Honorable David I VIainhouse Acting Assistant Secretacy of State Washington D c OFFICIAL_ E 9 DECLASSIFIED Authority fJ rJ OqS2-q l OFFICIAL Jl §J d - 2 - increasing criticism in the Trusteeship Council This criticism is heightened by the fact that conditions on Kili Island where they have been resettled are not satisfactory to the Bikinia ns and this is the second resettlement scheme that has proved unsatisfactory to them Finally since just compensation has been promised to the Rongelap and Uterik peoples affected by the hydrogen bomb tests he points out that attention will be focused in the Trusteeship Council next year on whether just and prompt settlements have been made to these people It seems to us that Mr Sears has made a strong case for United States action in working out settlements of the above questions promptly and effectively so that the United States will not be placed in a disadvantageous position in the United Nations on a matter vital to our security I would appreciate receiving the Department's comments and advice as to the steps being taken in this matter Sincerely James __ _ I _____ OFFICIAL USE ONLY r Wadsworth