Mauritius
THE Colonial Office will soon be left with nothing but island dependencies. But it is just in these small isolated communities that imaginative planning can do most good—and relatively small sums of money make the differ- ence between economic progress and collapse.
Mauritius is a test case. It is much the most important island in the Indian Ocean. Its devel- opment has been prodigious—an uninhabited island in 1700, it now has over 600,000 people. It is magnificently fitted to produce sugar— it could produce all Britain's needs more cheaply than any other territory. Tea production and fibre production are also satisfactory. But the time has come for an industrialisation programme which will fully occupy the island's efficient and indus- trious labour force.
Long prosperity and freedom from adversity had built up local reserves and optimism. The colour bar was being rapidly overcome. The marks of previous poverty—slums and a high death-rate—were disappearing; the whole island, blessed by nature with great beauty, had taken on a park-like aspect. Then came the cyclones in January this year and again in February. 'Carol' killed forty-two people. Seventy thousand dwell- ings disappeared in an hour; 63,000 were damaged. A large part of the crop for this and next year has been destroyed.
The cyclone has offered a challenge. Six hundred thousand pounds have been collected in Britain and from such bodies as UNICEF; £2 million have been contributed by the Colonial Office. But much more is needed for necessary ventures—in the building trades, fishing, tourism, and inter-island communications. The Mauritian Ministers now in London are asking for £12 million; they would probably be relieved to get half that sum, and the Colonial Office is anxious that they should not leave dissatisfied. The Secre- tary of State was to have made a pronouncement on the subject this week,. but has delayed it, apparently in the hope of extracting more from the Treasury. It is a case where the Treasury would be wise to be generous.
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