TNAG-0429-FCO40-494-Programme-Analysis-and-Review-(PAR)-Future-of-Dependent-Terr-1974 — Page 58

CONFIDENTIAL

It would be hard to explain either to Gibraltar or to the British public why Seychelles should become part of Britain and Gibraltar not (the converse would be much easier to defend).

29.

The conclusion scens inescapablo that so long as there are territories which would welcome integration with us but with which we are not prepared to integrate we should not re-open the subject. On the other hand we need not rule integration out as a possible solution if we find ourselves left eventually with a small group of territories for whom it is the only alternative to perpetual colonial rule,

Association with other states

30. As regards the Caribbean Canada has always been careful to avoid direct involvement but in recent years the Canadian Government has with our encouragement taken a closer interest in the British Caribbean territories, and begun to provide aid on a significant scale. But we should almost certainly scare then off if we even mentioned the possibility of their eventually taking over our responsibilities. Much the same is true of the U.S.A. Jamaica end Trinidad withdrew from the federation of The West Indies because they were unwilling to sacrifice their own development to that of the smaller islands. Barbados later took a similar attitude to proposals for a smaller federation. Trinidad flirted with the possibility of union with nearby Granada but stipulated for an inpossibly large dowry to be paid by us. The fact is that none of the Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean has the resources to succeed to our role.

31. In the long run however there may be a chance of securing minor adjustments that would be helpful, such as the union of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, the British and American Virgin Islands, and Antigua and Montserrat.

In the Pacific

32.

The Australians are very cautious about the possibility of an eventual union between their Solomon Islands and our own (as part of Papua New Guinea). They would certainly reject any proposal that they should replace us in Fiji or elsewhere indeed their

object is to prevent our departure. New Zealand, who is decolonizing as rapidly as she can and is deferential to U.N. views, would not

even consider taking on additional territories.

-12-

133.