Evening star., 1940-09-12
u. ). Base in Bermuda
Facilitated by Fear
OF Outright Cession
Islands Are StonchIy
British, Though They
Like American Way
BY the Associated Pres.

BY the Associated Pres.
HAMILTON, Bermuda, Sept. r.
1t will be giving away no interna-
tional secrets to say that Bermuda
offered space to the United States
for military facilities as much in
political self-defense as in meeting
its obligations as part of the British
Empire.
Bermuda remains vigorously Brit
ish.
The islands anticipated some sort
of action by Washington and Lon
don bearing on an expansion OF the
American defense system with
British soil involved in the agree
ment, and they were disturbed by
unofficial reports that outrigl ces-
sion of Bermuda might be proposed.
Professed Affection.
The House of Assembly in ad-
dressing memorial to the colonies
secretariat in London observed:
THE people of Bermuda are
deeply disturbed lest some new con-
ception of American hemisphere
defense may affect the status of
this ancient colony as an integral
part of the British commonwealth.
1--WE reaffirm our answering
loyalty to his majesty the King. =
1--WE earnestly pray that the ties
of tradition and the bonds of affec-
ton which unite us to the mother
country may never be severed
Thus Bermuda put itself on
record while the United States and
England dickered.
The concern that the colony
might not have remained British
crops out in casual conversation
with the man in the street in these
tiny coral limestone islands, 654
land miles from the nearest point
on the North American continent.
Faith in England Firm.
Certainly no immediate military
emergency dictated the parliament
tary move. AS in the war of 1914
1918, Bermuda has been practically
free of invasion Scares. Its lights
continue to blaze at night, and only
community at war have been
taken. Moreover, Bermudians have
a sublime faith in the ultimate vic
tory of England over the axis
powers.
The islands income, up to the
start of this war, came almost en-
tirely from the American tourist
trade. but their tradition and cul-
ture have remained stanchly Brit
ish for more than three centuries.
The f1utter of the union jack and
the singing of God Save the King"
are just as indelible evidences of
the Bermudian way of life as they
are in Whitehall.
So stubbornly has Bermuda ad-
hered to the tradition of royal SOW
ereignty that in the year 1880 the
islanders defied the rule of the COM
monwealth under Cromwell, after
the execution of King Charles I,
and pledged allegiance to King
Charles II, at the moment outlawed.
Survival Argument Wins.
It was a defense move of an al
most non-military character, there
fore, when the island Parliament
suggested that the Great Sound,
which fans out southwark from the
incoming steamer lane past Ireland
Island and Spanish Point, could be
made available to the United States
as base.
Discussion of the subject in Par
lament savored of an argument in
q typical American city council
meeting over an appropriation for
new paving. Some of the legisla-
tors were concerned lest United
States defense works mar the natu-
raj beauty of the islands.
To that, others in the House of
Assembly asked tartly: Was Ber-
muda to give the empire the impress
sion that it was petty enough to dis
cuss the preservation of beauty while
the empire was fighting for its
existence?
Bermuda does not dislike the way
Americans do things. Visitors from
the United States mingle freely
with an hospitable populace here,
and Bermudian in the hearing of
Briton fresh from England as
"stuffy." American mechanical re-
frigerators are stock equipment in
these households.
But Bermuda remains as en-
phatically British as Trafalgar