Indian Islands
pp. 86-87 · Read in the full issue
Federation Of West
Plan Advanced a Further Step in London
AGREEMENT was reached at the] Conference held in London in April on British West Indian Federation, and the next step is fori the delegates from Trinidad, Bar bados, Jamaica, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands to report back to their West Indies Territories and thresh out the various questions which have arisen.!
Until that has been done the future of the Federation cannot finally be known.
In opening the Conference, Mr.
Oliver Lyttelton (Secretary of State for Colonies) emphasised that the decision would depend on the wishes of the individual West Indian Governments. “If a federa tion comes into being,” he said, “it must be by the spontaneous and willing decisions of the Govern ments and Legislatures concerned.”] The delegates, in their replies, underlined what was already known, that the principle of federa tion was generally accepted by the Caribbean countries, with the ex ception of the mainland territories of British Guiana and British Honduras, which sent observers only, and not delegates.
As a result of the conference, it is now proposed that Granada and not Trinidad shall be the federal capital, and that the number of] seats in the Senate shall be 19— not 23, which allowed for British] Guiana and British Honduras. The House of Representatives is to have 45 seats (Barbados 5, Jamaica 17, Antiqua 2, St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla 2, Montserrat 1, Trinidad and Tobago 10, Granada 2, St. Vin cent 2, St. Lucia 2, Dominica 2).
For the first five years the Coun cil of State would consist of a Prime Minister, 3 officials appointed by the Governor-General (Chair-: man), 7 members nominated by the] Prime Minister, and 3 Senators ap pointed by the Governor-General-] in-Council.
It is understood that an assur-i ance would be forthcoming that the British Government would assist, the federation financially at the] outset and that Parliament would be asked to make a grant toward™ the cost of federal headquarters. I It has been suggested that there may be a possibility of a similar federation of British South Pacific Islands Territories. There is an im-l portant difference, however, in that the British West Indies countries are all under the British Colonial Office, whereas the British archi-1 pelagoes in the South Pacific are!
tided between UK, Australia, NZ