and accused Bank of Bermuda chairman Mr. Eldon Trimingham of "having no faith in Bermudians''.

Responding to Mr. Trimingham's comments in yesterday's Royal Gazette , Sir John swept aside the bank chairman's assertion that corruption and gross mismanagement could befall the Island at Independence.

In the latest salvo in the row between the pair, Sir John said Mr. Trimingham was "trying to frighten Bermudians off Independence''.

Moreover, the Premier said it was unsurprising that there was no sentiment for Independence in the Cayman Islands since the foreign born population there exceeds the native population.

Consequently, he added, Cayman Islanders don't run their own country which is opposite to Bermuda where Bermudians have been managing their own country for 30 years without "a whiff of corruption''.

"Why should all of the decent men and women who have been running Bermuda honestly and incorruptibly for so long,'' Sir John said, "suddenly, under Independence, become dishonest and corruptible? "The difference between Mr. Trimingham and myself is very simple. I have faith in Bermudians in their ability and integrity. He obviously has no faith in Bermudians, in our ability or in our integrity. It's a sad commentary when a person of the standing of Mr. Trimingham tells other Bermudians that in assuming the few additional responsibilities under Independence the world will fall on us.'' Mr. Trimingham came in for criticism after he warned those gathered at a Independence forum last week that many independent countries end up with "one party governments''.

He said Bermudians must understand the risks inherent in Independence before making a decision in a referendum.

Without a clear understanding of the risks, Mr. Trimingham said, they cannot decide what to do.

He said there was "no turning back'' from Independence, and both "the benefits and the dangers'' should be identified during the debate because "it is no use wishing that these risks do not exist''.

Furthermore, he charged that the Cayman Islands was cashing in on Bermuda's Independence debate.

But Sir John said Mr. Trimingham's "worst case scenario'' statements were "irresponsible''.

If the Independence Referendum Act is passed by the Senate tomorrow, Government plans an Independence referendum sometime this summer.

Editorial -- Page 4