over the return of the US bases to Bermuda into the kind of circus which will make Bermuda a loser. Amid the political blustering and posing in the House of Assembly on Friday there appeared to be little understanding of how important the bases negotiations are. If and when we get the bases back, it will be our last chance to do meaningful things with land in Bermuda. This is not the time to make political points but it is the time for unity of purpose to do our best for Bermuda. We could not, of course, even hope to negotiate with a divided team.

Many people, including most of those in Parliament, seem to think that this is simply a question of getting the land back and deciding what to do with it.

Having to run the Airport is seen as a kind of attached necessary evil. That is very simplistic.

As we see it, the real questions which must be asked involve what we might be getting back.

Are we going to take back a number of dilapidated buildings which serve no Bermudian purpose? Can we turn to productive civilian use buildings which were designed for military purposes? Do we want a good deal of poorly built housing that is unlikely to meet Bermuda's Planning standards? Should we ask the United States to demolish those buildings we do not need? As we see it, Bermuda has to be careful not to take back facilities which will burden Bermuda and Bermuda also has to be sure that the United States does not walk away from a "pig in a poke'' and stick Bermuda with the bills.

Bermuda will also have to get expert advice on the condition of the land it gets back. The United States military is notorious even inside the United States for abusing the land. At this moment Bermuda has absolutely no idea of the state of the land at Kindley Field or at the US Naval Annex. There is reason to believe that there were underground nuclear weapons at the East End.

We know that there was massive underground oil storage at the West End.

Bermuda needs to know what this did to the land before it takes the land back and is then faced with a massive clean-up bill.

St. George's South MP Mr. Richard Spurling is quite correctly concerned about the environment at the East End base. He says that Ruth's Bay should be reclaimed from its present condition as a dump. Clearly Bermuda should not have to pay for that.

We constantly hear that Bermuda should be grateful to the United States for providing a free airfield in the years since the Second World War. That is true but it does not mean that we should not get the best deal we can in the return of the bases. The land should be given back to us in good condition.

Damage which was done to the land was caused by usage by the United States and Bermuda should not be expected to make good that damage.