the army, the air force, the navy, the marines and the coast guard, have lived together with Bermudians with a goodwill which must be unique in the history of military presence on foreign soil.

In the process, there have been great benefits on both sides.

During real war and cold war the United States has enjoyed the ability to defend itself from someone else's soil without fear of aggression on the continental United States. On the other hand, the American military has been a good neighbour for Bermudians both at Kindley Field and at the Annex. It would have been impossible to predict that a foreign military and Bermudian civilians would live together with so little friction. Much of that, we think, was due to the fact that, generally, the United States forces behaved like guests and to the agreement by the United States after the Second World War to subject bases' personnel to local courts for offences committed locally.

During the war, base workers and foreign military personnel from many countries replaced tourists as a source of revenue in the Bermudian economy.

After the war, the bases provided steady and lucrative employment for Bermudians. They also provided revolving resident guests in the form of bases personnel who spent locally and once provided a major source of tenants for local housing.

It is difficult to imagine what Bermuda's tourism might have been like in the years right after the war if Bermuda had not enjoyed ready access to Kindley Field for commercial flights. In the early days the United States even supplied the terminal building. Surely, Bermuda would have had to borrow to construct an air field of some sort at a time when the economy was deflated and cash was very short and Bermuda needed to revamp the hotels.

In the years since, the bases and their personnel have, at various times, provided our only television, married our women, assisted with fires, landed aircraft, roared over our heads, kept us safe from submarines, secretly installed atomic weapons, protected our heritage, introduced us to motor traffic, competed in sports, enlarged our Country, and provided for a college education.

One major thing the United States did not do was provide the promised civilian bridge from Coney Island to Ferry Reach. They did provide Longbird Bridge which will have to be replaced by Bermuda in the not too distant future.

There is no doubt that Bermuda will be poorer both culturally and financially for the departure of the United States military. Bermudians will enjoy having the land back, no matter what the cost, but we will miss the US presence. The sad thing is that the negotiations for the return of the bases appear to be stalled and that Washington seems content to leave them stalled, disregarding some 375 years of friendship. We had hoped that by now everything would be concluded so that Bermuda and the United States military could part as they have lived, friendly and with mutual respect. It's a great shame because Bermudians have always looked on the United States and the American people as helpful and caring friends. But, as is so often the case, money, some $140 million dollars, has reared its ugly head.