!
5.
In paragraph 17 of his despatch of 9 July 1973 from the
Bahamas, Sir John Paul said:
"... it is very unwise, if not dangerous, to delegate too much
authority particularly with regard to the Public Service
and internal security to a local government or local
commission or institution unless and until it is clearly
and firmly established that the Government is to lead the
country into Independence within a reasonably short period
of time say, not more than a year."
This conclusion may well have been illumined by the maladministra-
tion and misfeasance of the Bahamas authorities.
Certainly the
But would it be prudent to dele-
situation is different in Belize where it can be said that the
government takes its job seriously, and that, even if corruption
among Ministers is Lot unknown, its top leaders are competent
and its Premier is dedicated.
gate powers more freely to a relatively "good" colonial government
than to governments which might be venal or inefficient?
Governments can change; 9ɔ can our own judgment of the quality
of a government and its leaders. The progressive canonisation
of Jomo Kenyatta is to some extent reflected in the career of
George Price and in the change which has taken place in British relations with him since the time, fifteen years ago, when,
expelled from the Executive and Legislative Councils, he was
prosecuted (unsuccessfully) for sedition. But things can go in
the opposite direction and it may not be too paranoid a dream to
imagine somebody like Mr Rogers, Minister of Home Affairs,
following in the footsteps of Duvalier.
6. In Belize we are, unfortunately for Britain, not within
sight of independence.
'it is hard to see how.
It might come within 12 months, although
More likely we have 3, 4 or more years
4.
CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL
/to wait.
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