former Senator the Hon. Charles Collis to head a committee on the future use of the two bases which are to be returned to Bermuda. We support the appointment of Mr. Collis because we think he is a doer who will get on with the job and the future use of both the Canadian navy's site at Daniel's Head and the US navy's old base at King's Point is vital to Bermuda.

In a real sense we will get only one chance to decide the future of this land and in a place as small as Bermuda, the return of this land can be a great blessing and a huge bonus. However, if we make the wrong decisions the return of the lands can become a millstone we will regret for 50 years. This newspaper has been suggesting that King's Point should be returned to Bermuda for the past 15 years and it is gratifying to see it come about.

Now Bermuda must be very careful to make the right decisions about use of the space. We must avoid flamboyant schemes and greedy speculators, and that includes Government, and devote this space to the good of the Country. We should remember the long years it took us to sort out Dockyard after it was turned into a shambles by the old Crown Lands Corporation. We think Government should follow the example set more recently at Dockyard and turn the bases over to the present West End Development Corporation, which has done such an outstanding job at Dockyard, or to some similar corporation.

First of all, Government has to be sure in what condition we are going to get the properties back. It would be foolish to accept them back with built-in expenses such as Bermuda having to demolish at huge expense undesirable buildings. We can only hope that the US and Canadian Governments will be moved by long friendship to behave properly, having had the use of Bermuda's land for all these years on a very amiable basis. It would be unacceptable for tiny Bermuda to find itself in a position of having to clean up a mess left behind by large and wealthy governments. We have serious fears that that could be the case, that there might be an attitude of, "You're getting your land back, what more do you want?'' Ideally, Senator Collis and his committee should be able to decide what Bermuda wants or does not want of what has been constructed on the bases and have the rest left in tidy condition. Bermuda cannot hope to put the properties to profitable use if it begins by being saddled with huge bills to receive someone else's military leftovers.

Thoughts for development should be centred on King's Point with the exception of three or four old Bermuda houses which are worth protecting. Mr. Collis might begin by putting preservation orders on those.

We think that today's Bermuda could do a great service for future Bermudians by tidying up Daniel's Head, planting indigenous trees and leaving it and the beaches alone for people's enjoyment. We must remember that a crowded island will need future space, no matter what it eventually gets used for.