'Mad Mitch’ in Bahamas

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33253, 16 June 1973, Page 15

'Mad Mitch’ in Bahamas

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NASSAU, June 15. Lieutenant-Colonel Colin (“Mad Mitch”) Mitchell, a British Conservative member of Parliament, has arrived on the island of Abaco, in the northern Bahamas, for an on-the-spot study of local opposition to the Bahamas’ achieving independence from Britain next month.

“Mad Mitch” —the name i he earned for his exploits in 1 Aden when it was a British < colony holding out against ‘ Arab nationalists — has given I a pledge that he is not in ] Abaco to stir up trouble, and, during a stopover in Wash- s ington, he denied that he was < thnking of raising an army I from among the 6000 resi- i dents of the island. 1 But on his way to the l Bahamas, Colonel Mitchell < called at the Georgia home of l Mr Mitchell Werbell, an arms 1 dealer who has been quoted as saying that he could raise I and equip an army of 2500 1 men on Abaco. Both men told journalists . that there could be a Com- j munist take-over of the Bahamas within eight months of independence. Many of the islanders fear that the extensive real estate development and investments

in Abaco will be jeopardised by the break with Britain, and some fear an upsurge of “black nationalism” under the Government of Mr Lynden Pindling. A Bahamas Government spokesman said: “It is expected that Colonel Mitchell will give no press interviews while he is in the Bahamas, hold no meetings, and in no way conduct himself in a manner which might not be conducive to the public good.” The Queen yesterday gave formal assent to legislation granting full independence to the Bahamas on July 10. The Caribbean group of islands had been ruled by Britain for 300 years.