States to accept responsibility for cleaning up the mess left behind at the old Kindley Field and the old US Naval Annex. The previous Government also fought hard for the clean-up to be carried out at US expense rather than have Bermuda stuck with a mess that was not of its making.

Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson has been quoted as saying: "I would have thought the cost to those countries (the US and the UK) of cleaning up a little country like Bermuda shouldn't be a problem. It would be terribly mean-spirited of them to try to hammer a little colony.'' The politicians who have tried to deal with this situation have all been correct. Bermuda has to stand up for itself as best it can in the face of both of the large countries. That is not easy because it is easy for a tiny place like Bermuda to simply become a voice crying in the wilderness.

When the Bush Administration was in power in the US there was a concerted effort to remain friends with the tiny islands around the US, presumably because no-one wanted one of them to turn into another Cuba, especially remembering the US invasion of Grenada. That friendly approach has not continued under President Clinton.

Mr. Hodgson has said: "They have come to another country, used the land, abused it and then walked away -- they have to fix it.'' As we see it, the bases clean-up is really a moral issue. The land was taken from Bermuda as a wartime measure basically to protect the United States.

Bermuda bases were considered a vital part of what was designed as an outer rim of defences to protect the United States from attack by Germany and her allies. It is perfectly true that these bases also protected Bermuda and often helped to feed Bermuda in the early days of the war when the Atlantic was heavily occupied by German submarines. But protecting Bermuda was not the primary objective. That objective was to look after the United States.

Bermudians made little complaint when their land was given by Britain to the United States. There was not much they could have done anyway and they patriotically saw the land use as a part of the war effort.

Unlike many other countries, after the bases were built Bermuda lived very comfortably with the US military. There was very seldom any "bad blood'' between Bermudian civilians and military personnel which is quite remarkable given the close living quarters. Bermuda has had a long and friendly relationship with the United States since the very early days of both countries. We think that long relationship counts for something. There is always the temptation to wonder if we had not been quite so friendly the US might try to win us over by doing what is right.

Mr. Hodgson, of course, is quite right when he says: "The UK has certain responsibilities. They gave the US the right to come in here -- it is the principle.''