PAGO PAGO, American Somoa — Secretary of State James A. Baker III left a top deputy standing on the airport tarmac on this remote South Sea island today as his plane took off for Australia.
But the official, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Richard Solomon, was stranded only for about one hour. He was able to hitch a ride to Sydney on the plane of Defense Secretary Dick Cheney.
Baker's plane stopped on Pago Pago to refuel on a 24-hour flight from Washington to Australia, where he is taking part in defense talks.
Solomon and three reporters were told they had 1 1/2 hours to look around and took a taxi tour of the island. After posing for snapshots and driving through picturesque villages, the four made their way back to the airport only to find Baker's plane already taxiing down the runway.
