Nocity addresind 1 HKAD.
JJ
17/5
r Stanley
CONFIDENTIAL
HKG 025/1
Muckurin
JJ it's
THE CARIBBEAN: TALKS WITH THE ALERICANS
The P/A.
(10)
See also.
1. You asked me to have a look at MCD's paper on the Caribbean for the talks with the Americans,
2.
I have noted a couple of non-sequiturs in paragraphs 10 and 15 and I have told LCD of a fairly important typing error in paragraph 21. However, as the custodian of departmental theology, my main concern is, of course, with Section 4, the Conclusions.
3. I find it difficult to accept the argument in paragraph 35 which seems to say that economic Viability is a necessary precedent for independence. Had this been our criterion, India and Pakistan would still be ruled by the Raj. If the dependent Caribbean territories remain dependent, we shall carry on pumping aid into them. If they becoTM independent, we shall have the same aid responsibility but be relieved of the political responsibility and the concomitant odium that goes with it. The argument that economic Viability is necessary for independence is, in fact, contradicted by the section in paragraphs 32 and 34, that the Associated States will all become independent probably within the next three to four years, although "it is doubtful whether the economies of any of the Associated States
can be viable".
4.
The argument that the populations of me dependent territories show little interest, in independence is & more important one and I believe that it is/in information compaign to persuade them of the benefits of independenco - including access to much wider sources of aid that our future nolicies lie.
1
9. 1977
cc:
Mr Cortazzi
Kr #dmonds
Kr Preston
Kiss Stoddart (WIAD)
Hr A J Collins
Miss Binns ( Planning Staff)
CONFIDENTIAL
JAB Stewart
Hong Kong & General Dept