Behind the bomb

As France continues its series of nuclear explosions in French Polynesia, the people of Tahiti—the main island in the territory— are not quite so sure whether establishment of the nuclear testing centre is a good or a bad thing. Is the present wave of prosperity artificial, or are there real dangers—both economical and physical— in the situation?

BUILDING programmes as sociated with the nuclear project, together with a big build up of Tahiti’s tourist industry, have already brought un precedented prosperity to many of the 80,000 Polynesians through out the territory. Life has been completely transformed for almost everyone in French Polynesia.

From being a largely agri cultural community, where the production of copra was the main industry, French Polynesia has become a land of building workers, working for wages. So many men have been lured from the land to work on construction jobs associated with the nuclear project that the agricultural industry has fallen into chaos, and it will probably be many years before it recovers. If it ever does.

The main works programmes have been in Tahiti and on the four atolls of Hao, Tureia, Fangataufa and Mururoa, in the Tuamotus, where the tests started on July 3 (and will continue until September).

The Polynesian workmen who have been attracted to work on the various projects have come from all parts of French Poly nesia, but particularly from the outer islands where life has always been hard. Frequently, on leaving home, they have taken their families with them as far as Tahiti, and on finishing their work on the construction projects, they are inclined to stay there. The result is that Tahiti has become faced with housing, health and social problems that it never had before. These problems are likely to grow worse during the next year or so as more and more workers return from the nuclear testing sites.

A recently established Tahitian tourist board is implementing a five-year plan for the development of tourism ( PIM, July, p. 23).

The plan is designed to create more work opportunities. New airfields and a big road building programme are two important parts of the plan.

But capital for tourist develop ment, especially American, is becoming very shy and there are local doubts as to whether the industry can now be built up fast enough to take up the slack left by the completion of the atomic testing centre.

Have the locals been encouraged to live above their means? There is discontent developing among the Tahitians, with anti-French sentiments already evident. An economic recession could touch off trouble.

Although there has been little talk of fall-out fears in the past, lately more Tahitian spokesmen have expressed apprehension.

Tahitians now are dividing their history into two periods—Before the Bomb and After the Bomb. ☆ ☆ ☆ AS France goes ahead with its series of nuclear tests the US Government has just paid compensation to 86 victims of radiation exposure caused by America’s Bikini Atoll test of March, 1954.

Beneficiaries or their heirs have been paid SUS 10,490 each— making a total of about SUS 1million distributed to sufferers from the effects of Bikini ash.

Four of the recipients are children who were born a few months after the detonation, and whose mothers were among those affected by the blistering, wind blown ash which sifted down on Rongelap following the hydrogen bomb test on Bikini, about 90 miles west of Rongelap, Beneficiaries under 21 years of age are to have all but a small amount of the sum put in trust.

US Trust Territory officials have been giving the people advice in the best way of using the money from their nuclear windfall.

Five new patients suffering from a thyroid complaint caused by exposure to radiation were recently flown from Rongelap to America for treatment.