only suspect that the foreign owned Bermuda Properties Ltd., has pressured the minister.

The Minister went so far as to tell the House, "We cannot and must not allow these redevelopment plans for the Bermuda Properties site to fail.'' It seems clear to us and we think the public should be very aware that the Minister of Tourism is "setting the stage'' for the Minister of the Environment, him of Vesey Street, to overrule the Development Applications Board if that board goes against developing Ship's Hill.

If this newspaper saw one sign that the proposed Ship's Hill development would benefit the Castle Harbour, lead to its revitalisation or contribute to the hotel staying open, we would be the first to say the development should go ahead. This newspaper's record of support for tourism speaks for itself.

However over months and months of Ship's Hill debate we have seen nothing, absolutely nothing, to indicate that this development will benefit the hotel in any way or that the scheme is anything but a vehicle for foreign owners to make a fortune out of Bermuda's land.

We believe Bermuda Properties Ltd., have used the Marriott Castle Harbour as an excuse and a smoke screen. They have appealed cynically to the natural sympathy Bermudians have for the tourist industry and for the hotels, in an attempt to get their own way. They know that unless they convince the public that there is good cause to develop, the development would not be allowed and thus they connected this scheme to the success of the Castle Harbour Hotel.

We have every sympathy for Marriott given the plight they find themselves in.

They have a money-losing venture in a resort where tourism is very troubled.

We know that they regret ever coming here and that their involvement in Castle Harbour is regarded by corporate Marriott as a big mistake. However we see not one bit of evidence, nor can the Minister, or Marriott or Bermuda Properties supply evidence, that destroying Ship's Hill will or can benefit the hotel operation in any way.

The Minister of Tourism says environmental groups opposing Ship's Hill are counter productive to the long-term viability of the tourist industry. Let us point out that destroying the environment is no help to tourism nor is it beneficial to future Bermudians.

In defence of the environmentalists, let us make only one point. Because it is sympathetic toward tourism, the Bermuda National Trust did not object to plans for the proposed Ritz Carlton Hotel on South Shore, Warwick. The major opposition to that plan came from E.T. (Bob) Richards who is now the Government's Leader in the Senate!