Japs Tell What USA
p. 42 · Read in the full issue
Feeling The
Bikini Pulse
Japs Tell What USA Will Not
ATOMIC test-explosions in tfi Bikini area and elsewhere an having their repercussions fa: away.
In recent months, radiation sampling has been introduced a, New Zealand’s Island meteorological stations at Apia, W. Samoa anc Aitutaki, Cook Islands. Rainwate; samples are bottled and filed, anc lengths of plastic adhesive tape ar« laid out in the open air to catcl dust samples.
The tapes are sent off to Welling' ton for examination, and if the: show radiation the water sample' of about the same date are callec for.
One rather amusing angle to thi series of tests which went on a Bikini through May-June-July wa: the regular announcements on them by Tokio Radio—although from American official sources few detail; were released, and then only well after the event.
The Japanese meteorological ser vice has established highly sensitive recording barographs, seismographs and tide recorders at a number o: points throughout the country. A successive intervals after a Bikini explosion, the Japanese scientist record the air pressure wave, vibra tions through sea and land, ano the “tidal” wave—ls to 20 centi metres high at Tokio —caused.
Later, radio-active dust samples re veal the nature of the test bomb.
From the available data, it is pos sible for the Jap scientists to say whether the bomb was explodeo from a tower or dropped from an aircraft, as well as many other de tails. These are broadcast to th« world from Tokio Radio shortly after the event.
The waters west and south o;< Bikini are very valuable Japanese fishing grounds and fall-out infor mation is vital to fishing opera tions. During the recent bomb tests, the Japs sent out a specially equipped research vessel to sample water and air on the fringes of the announced danger area.
Not unnaturally, there is strong opposition in Japan to these bomW tests, which seem to precipitate s lot of radio-active products ontc Japan shortly after they take place= Probably partly for this reason the Japanese scientists seem to take de light in letting the world know wha'i the American Atomic Energy Com mission will not tell.
Tokio Radio, incidentally, now provides an excellent and interest-; ing news service to the Pacific on short-wave (1800 and 0715 GMT).