America and us

UNCLE Sam's been fraying a few North Yorkshire nerves of late. So much so that protesters gate-crashed his Independence Day party by remaining chained to the fixtures at Menwith Hill, the world's biggest eavesdropping base near Harrogate, this morning. Waving doctored Stars And Stripes flags, around 100 Greenpeace campaigners first stormed the base yesterday to make clear their opposition to America's Son Of Star Wars plan.

President George W Bush believes his national missile defence system will make the world a safer place by neutralising the threat from "rogue states". If such a state decided to take a nuclear pop at the US, the system would destroy the warheads in space - in theory at least.

It is generally believed that America would need the help of both Menwith Hill and nearby RAF Fylingdales, home of early warning radar, for Star Wars to work. Greenpeace spokesman Steve Tindale says this would "make North Yorkshire a target for any attacks on Bush and the US".

But missile defence is not the only reason why Mr Bush has upset people. His abandonment of the Kyoto agreement on climate change so incensed a group of 12 and 13-year-olds at Joseph Rowntree School in New Earswick that they wrote to the White House calling on him to rethink his "disastrous" policy.

And US influence is irritating us on a local as well as global scale, it seems. Take one, honest-to-goodness, traditional British boozer, the Frog Hall in Layerthorpe, York. Threaten it with demolition. Add the fact that the new development would include a McDonald's drive-through restaurant, then watch the fireworks.

Some Evening Press correspondents have complained that this is another example of the creeping Americanisation of York. Among them Lilian Boulton, of Beansway, York.

"Monks Cross is on my doorstep," she said today. "I go there and think it looks like some kind of state-of-the-art oil refinery, except it's for shopping.

"They have loads of them over there, but it's the kind of thing we don't have space for over here."

She does not blame the United States, but the city council specifically and the British people in general for accepting Americanisation.

"For some time I couldn't understand why we were the most car-dominated country in Europe.

"I discussed it with my youngest offspring. He said 'it's quite simple - we always follow what America does'."

America's record on capital punishment and its role in the last war have also prompted a lively letters page discussion, since the execution of Timothy McVeigh and the movie release of Pearl Harbor.

Even former President Bill Clinton's recent declaration that "I love York very much" has not stopped the anti-American correspondents.

Paul Murphy, chief executive of the York Inward investment Board, is not impressed.

"I've marketed this city as extending an especially warm welcome to Americans," he said. "That has been the experience of the many American families who have moved into the city.

"I regard the correspondence from some readers to be rather silly."

He enthusiastically puts forward the pro-US case.

Thousands of local jobs depend on American investment - this writer's included, as Virginian-based Gannett is the owner of the Evening Press and all of Newsquest's other titles.

"The USA is our prime overseas market in terms of inward investment. That applies nationally: half of our inward investment comes from the US," said Mr Murphy.

"That's true in spades for York."

Mr Murphy and his team have a remarkable track record of attracting US companies to the city.

There are, he reckons, now 30 American-owned companies in the area, employing around 5,000 people. These includes shops like the Disney Store, existing companies that have been taken over by US interests, and companies choosing to locate here like Thrall Europa, the wagon-maker now based on Holgate Road.

The hard work of the investment board is the prime reason for this success, but Mr Murphy believes US citizens have an affinity with York which helps.

"What's in a name?" he said. "Every single American is aware of the existence of York because they have heard of New York. That's a good starting point.

"We are also the third most popular destination for American tourists after London and Edinburgh. A lot of Americans have been to York, or know someone who has.

"I still think it's easier to sell York than Leeds or Manchester, names that are not necessarily known in America. They have got an image of York in their minds - that's a wonderful starting point.

"And success breeds success."

Payment card processor TSYS, based in Columbia, Georgia, moved into the former Shepherd building at Fulford Moor House, York, earlier this year.

In 1999 the firm was named the best in America to work for, so a good working environment was essential when looking for a new UK location, said Bruce Bacon, managing director of TSYS UK.

The technology company also needed a skilled workforce. York offered both.

About 14 families moved here from the US, and they have been made to feel "very welcome" and are delighted by the education system, said Mr Bacon.

"The employees who relocated from the US to York have been very pleased. We have had a great recruiting experience in York and would highly recommend it to anyone considering a location in the UK."

Many Americans, lured by the history, visit York each year, and the revenue they generate is hugely important to the local tourist sector.

Kay Hyde, public relations officer at York Tourism Bureau, said: "The US is the biggest overseas market for York - 25 per cent of our visitors come from overseas: more than half of these are from North America.

"They are good spenders, they like to stay in top quality hotels, they like to eat well, drink well and have a good time. So they're very important to York's economy."

So should we rail against Americanisation - or welcome it? Perhaps Mark Hill, Yorkshire co-ordinator of the Green Party, has the most sensible approach to our mixed emotions when it comes to the "special relationship".

"It's important that people separate their views about American politics from any sort of anti-Americanism," he said.

Today - American Independence Day - symbolises the hope and idealism embodied in the US constitution, which protects democracy, equality, freedom of conscience and liberty.

"There are many people who are progressives and have particularly strong views on American defence policy and American overuse of carbon-based fuels," said Mark.

"But that's not to decry the United States as a country or as a people.

"They admire their idealism which today we should remember as being a very positive influence on the world."

Updated: 10:37 Wednesday, July 04, 2001