The resounding `no' Bermudians gave to Independence last week has drawn newspaper comment from around the world. The comments, mainly in the British Press, range from the thoughtful to the ridiculous.

Under the headline "True Brits,'' an editorial in The Financial Times said the decision against Independence gave Bermuda "the best of both worlds.'' Bermuda had "a substantial degree of self-government, with the distant umbrella of Britain for defence and foreign affairs, to give them a distinct identity in an otherwise US-dominated region.

"If they get tired of the umbrella, they can always have another referendum.'' The Times of London said: "Britain's oldest colony will probably be its last.'' But Bermuda's `no' vote "had as much to do with a widespread wish to get rid of (Premier the Hon.) Sir John (Swan) -- who has indeed now resigned -- as the Island's success in calming the row over the appointment of a new Police chief, playing down any resentment by the black majority of the wealthier white minority and counting their collective blessings.'' Writing in London's The Daily Telegraph, associate editor Mr. Martin Vander Weyer said Britons needed to keep in mind that Bermuda's decision was based on a "shrewd calculation'' of the Island's well-being, "rather than any rush of affection for Queen, Governor, warm beer and Cheddar.'' Mr. Vander Weyer said Independence would not have made much difference in daily life, but "what Bermuda clearly thought it would lose is that intangible sense of British stability.

"Despite recent City scandals and disasters, Britain -- seen from abroad -- remains a model of financial good order for most of the world to follow.'' Also, Britain was no longer seen as an imperialist exploiter, but as "benign, distantly useful, and without any real axe to grind in local affairs.'' The column went on to say the British "have been running themselves down for so long that we have forgotten how admirable we really are.'' He then asked whether it was "deeply eccentric'' to wonder whether the world would be a better place if other parts of it had opted to remain British. "It is certainly too late to find out.

"But it is interesting to speculate whether some of them, having experienced the alternative, might not vote to come back if they were offered the chance.'' A leading Canadian newspaper said Bermuda had put down "a revolution from above.'' Toronto's The Globe & Mail, which bills itself as "Canada's National Newspaper,'' said Sir John proposed Independence, although neither the people nor his governing United Bermuda Party had asked for it.

"That didn't stop Mr. Swan, intoxicated as he was by the prospect of visiting foreign capitals with guards of honour, red carpets and black limousines with a flag on the hood,'' the editorial said.

Bermuda would be independent, open its own embassies, and "claim (its) rightful seat at the United Nations between Benin and Bhutan.'' "That Independence would mean economic uncertainty, that it would mean the cost of raising an army and establishing a diplomatic corps and contributing to (rather than receiving from) the World Bank -- all that didn't deter Mr.

Swan,'' the editorial continued. "When you're talking destiny and history, the rest is housekeeping.'' Like several of the editorials, the one in the Canadian newspaper contained glaring errors. For instance, Bermuda has not received loans from the World Bank. The editorial also referred to Sir John, who is Premier, as Bermuda's "misguided Prime Minister.'' But Friday's editorial in London's Daily Mail took the prize for the most outrageous misstatement of fact, describing the result as a vindication for Governor Lord Waddington.

It said the former British Home Secretary had been jeered at when he moved to Bermuda, "clutching his anachronistic swan-plumed hat,'' and a large tax-free salary.

"But Lord Waddington has had the last laugh,'' the editorial said. "This week, at his suggestion, Bermuda held a free and fair referendum to decide whether the colony should be granted Independence.'' And a large majority voted `yes', said the newspaper, apparently unaware the referendum was not the Governor's idea.