go away? The problem now seems to be that the Government entered into a contract for the Club Med land which is very unfavourable to Bermuda. It seems the financially beleaguered Club Med company can continue to allow the St.

George's hotel building to sit there, empty and decaying, and there is very little Government can do except to continue the fight in the courts. The whole situation is entirely unsatisfactory.

We doubt that Club Med is ever going to reopen an hotel in the building because the property does not now -- and did not when it was taken over by Club Med -- fit into that company's operating format. Bermuda's social ambience, Bermuda's cooler climate and the sedate nature of St. George's were not suitable to Club Med's freewheeling formula for vacation fun.

Before Club Med opened here, this newspaper went to great lengths to examine the company's operations in the Bahamas and reported in detail on the way the clubs were run. It was very clear from the articles that Club Med was not suited to Bermuda, yet Bermuda's "powers that be'' failed to listen and went ahead with an arrangement which has never served St. George's or Bermuda well.

The ill-fated East End hotel site has now failed under three management companies and its failures have cost the United Bermuda Party Government dearly both in terms of tourism and in terms of votes in the St. George's constituencies. Once a UBP stronghold, St. George's North now elects the Leader of the Opposition who takes with her to Parliament her running mate.

The Club Med situation is complicated and too often clouded by comments from the Opposition Shadow Minister for Tourism David Allen. He has a good deal to say about Club Med's current bad behaviour but we should all remember that when Club Med was operating the hotel, Mr. Allen made their lives very difficult by constantly sniping at the hotel and rushing to the public with every little event that took place. Yet, as a world wide traveller and as a professional travel writer Mr. Allen well knew before the opening in Bermuda how Club Med operated and what the entertainments were like. He made it abundantly clear that he did not want Club Med in Bermuda. He simply cannot have it both ways.

The years go by. The hotel sits on a hill like a giant rebuke. Government's hands are tied by a bad lease and St. George's goes without the hotel which was once thought to be vital to East End tourism.

Government may have to take bold steps and legislate Club Med off the site and kiss them goodbye. It is not pretty, but sometimes bad situations require extreme measures. It is not acceptable for a non-Bermudian hotel company to sit and do nothing on a large piece of Bermuda.

We think the present building should be demolished and be replaced by a smaller and classier "cottage type'' resort which might attract to St.

George's people who are interested in the rich history and cultural tourism which St. George's offers.