Sir

I am puzzled by your Editorial “Time for Japan to shine?” (Nature 427, 763; 2004) on resolving the stalemate over the choice of a site for the fusion project ITER. You analyse the situation with the Japanese and European bids fairly and accurately. You conclude that if one or the other is technically superior, the facility should be sited there, but that in the event of a tie or a near tie, then Japan should be the chosen site.

I agree with your analysis and have been saying the same thing for some time.

My puzzlement comes from the last paragraph in which you say “Europe should turn the other cheek to the Bush administration's mischief-making and break the impasse”. This position, although new to Nature, is one that the United States government has long held.

I would have expected Nature to reserve its regrettable sarcasm for situations in which you and the Bush administration disagreed.