408431 i ' 1 ·· · • · -· -' · ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION '· ' MEETING NO 967 · · • · · - a z 0 U l 0 a a 2 15 p m Tueaday March 16 19 54 0 8U t3 J u 0 a z w X 0 0 co 0 J • • • • Present Also Present Morse Salisbury John A Hall Dr John C Bugher Col Vincent Ci Huston Thomas E Murray Eugene M z uckert Joseph Campbell K D Nichols William Mitchell Roy B Snapp BEST COPY AVAILABLE Executive Session 1 Japaneae Fishlna Vessel Th General Manager referred to the newspaper accounts that Z3 crew metnber a of a 1apanese fiahlng vessel had suffered radiation injury as a result of fall-out from the fitlt shot in the current test seriea and read the oniy cable on the subje t th•t had been received from 1TJr•7 The Commissioners dllcuaaed hll situation which had developed and indicated that until accurate accounts of what had occurred were teceivec no new public statement should be made on the subject Mr Hall reported that a meaaage had been received from the Ambassador to 1apan and that the Department of State we a eager to send inatructions to Tokyo a a soon as possible After extehsive discussion the Commhaion reque1ted that Mr Hall arrange to have a meaaage 1ent to the Ambassador in Tokyo which would cohtain the following polnta - 91 '' '' ' ' •' '· ' · · · • _ i · f r f ' · - · · i _ ' · · · '_ ' · ' · ' · · ' · ' 1· ' a Dr Morton ABCC has be-en instructed to report to the Ambassador to offer his technical services and the aesistance of the ABCC b Col Arthur Meeks USAF has also been instructed to report to the Ambassador and offer technical assistance c Other countries should not have access to the ship To facilitate this the U S would offer to decontaminate the vessel d A warning to ships has been issued Specific information on this matter will be supplied to the Ambassador as soon as possible _ · · · The Commission also requested Colonel Huston to obtain 1 precise information regarding the decision as to what constitutes the danger zone and what warning had been posted to shipping and Z what statements had been made to the U N pertaining to atomic tests in the Marshall Islands Mr Murray said that he wished to emphasize the importance of preventing access to the vessel because of the information that might be gained from ash samples The Commission then discussed a propoaal by Mr Zuckert that a committee of the various agencies concerned be established to make recommendations as to developments in the test series After discussion the Commission Agreed to request the Department of State and Defense and J'TF-7 to designa te members of a committee to study and make recommendations on developments in th-e current test series ' · · - 9Z - ' _ · •• ' · ' ·· · · · ___ · ' z · ' _ ·· ' ·· • ·· · · · 1oint Committee Hearings the General M naser reported on Joint Committee Hearings held on March 15 and 16 Secretary ' • · ' Approved by the Commission May 19 1954 • l t vu'' 1 · · - ' ' - 93 •