BRITISH WEST INDIES

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26943, 20 January 1953, Page 7

BRITISH WEST INDIES

FEDERATION PLAN OPPOSED (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Jan. 19. Strong opposition has developed in some quarters to the proposed federation of the British West Indies under a single Governor-General and with a unified customs administration, said a “New York Times” dispatch from Port of Spain, Trinidad, today. It is generally conceded that the mainland colonies, British Guiana and British Honduras, could not be induced to enter such a grouping, at least in the near future. Jamaica is also dubious about the plan. Ten different, administrations are involved in the colonies whose federation is proposed: Barbadoes, British Guiana, British Honduras, Jamaica, the Windward Islands-Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St. ’ Vincent. The last four share one Governor, but have separate administrations. Hostility to the federation project arises from different causes in different colonies. British Guiana is strongly against entering the federation. The reason seems to be that a majority of the population is East Indian by origin and that the group’ does not want the possible loss of its predominant position through immigration from other members of the federation.