Field base, the people of Bermuda will never be able to say that Sir John Swan did not do his best to get a good deal for Bermuda.

There have been murmurings in some quarters lately that Sir John's jet diplomacy is nothing more than electioneering. The truth is that the Premier had no early warning on the closure of the bases and the fact is that moves in the United States to close Kindley Field just happen to come at the same time as Bermuda's election.

Moves to close Kindley began with what this newspaper thinks was a Sam Donaldson TV news set-up engineered in Washington, and have moved quickly from there. If Sir John Swan did not do his best for Bermuda, he would be accused of not doing his job. Now that he is using his international contacts to do everything he can for Bermuda, some other politicians call it electioneering.

We know that, because of his flying visit to London, the Premier was able to get British Prime Minister John Major to help Bermuda by making representations to the White House not to close Kindley Field. The point is that these things are better discussed face-to-face and Prime Minister Major has much more clout in Washington than Bermuda can hope to have.

Sir John Swan is just back from NATO meetings in Brussels and flies out today for more talks in Washington. Cynics say that there was nothing to talk about in Brussels. The truth is that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has shown an interest in using Kindley Field and has been investing $32 million dollars in a new hanger and runway there. Sir John Swan hoped that, if the Americans leave, this NATO commitment of cash could be converted into some joint arrangement to run the air base.

The fact is that Bermuda has to have Kindley Field. In the years since the Second World War the United States virtually provided Bermuda with a free airfield to bring in the visitors to create the tourism industry. If the Americans leave Kindley Field, as this newspaper thinks they inevitably will, Bermuda still has to have the airfield open and running.

Clearly, some arrangement will have to be made. Sir John Swan, who has built up a wide array of international contacts during his years in office, is trying to get the deal which will suit Bermuda the best and cost Bermuda the least. If the Americans leave Kindley Field, Bermuda will lose jobs at the base and the income we get from off-base spending by base personnel. If Bermuda has to run Kindley Field then we will have to pay as we never have before. Our Premier hopes that either the Americans will stay or that this strategic mid-Atlantic field will be thought sufficiently important to international air travel that it will be kept open by, perhaps, the United States, Britain and NATO or some other combination which may have to include a contribution from Bermuda.

A move in the United States Congress to close Kindley Field on three months' notice is terrible news for Bermuda. It comes at a time when the Canadian forces have left Daniels Head and there is some doubt over HMS Malabar. The US Naval Annex is virtually closed. The Premier is grappling with a major Bermudian crisis.