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TRINIDAD
and the nearby Island of Tobago onugust will become Independentnitary state within the British Commonwealth. The new country's prospects are good for continued economic viability, basedon petroleum and Generally pro-Western, Trinidad wants to Join the Organization of American States (OAS). Premier Williams,whoersonal animus against tho US, has stated that his firstafter independence will be to "raise the whole question of aid."
Williams evidently intends to reopen the financialhe helped draft and1 Defense Areas Agreement, under which the US holds the naval base and associated radarfacility at Chaguaramas In the agreement the US expressed readiness to contribute to Trinidad's economic development, and specified for priorityseveral projects it would help finance. Williams interprets thisS promise to underwrite the total coat of these specifiedestimated at morein addition Infers from theSto pay for other projects he has since added. e blamed Trinidad'shigh unemployment on alleged US nonfulfillment of1 agreement, and attacked both the US and the UK for nothis latestillion housing loan.
Williams has invited many countries to send delegations to the independence ceremonies. Representatives Include the Soviet ambassador to Mexico, the Chinese Nationalist ambassador to Brazil, anda nonentity from the Cuban Foreign Ministry. The invitation
to Cuba was evidently intended primarily to annoy Washington and London; there Is practically no contact between Cuba and Trinidad, and Williams indicated previously that he will beto agree to any Cuban request to open consulates.
Personally anti-Communist, Williams has kept tightsurveillance over Trinidad's small Communist prrty. which is not represented in the legislature
no eviaence xo support recent local comments about Communist penetration of the labor movementJr^BmawawawawM JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJk'i'sls, nowcvcr^ that Williams may gravitate toward the Afro-Asian bloc at the UN if Trinidad has difficulty getting into the OAS,
Williams Is ambitious toa regional leader despite Trinidad's long rivalry with Jamaica and current friction with the smaller British islands. For about six months he has beenaribbean common His visit to Surinam in early Augustoint declaration recommending closer cultural and economic ties; the potential for trade between Trinidad and Surinam la small, howover, because their economies are not complementary. Williams also plans to vlalt the French Caribbean territories soon tohis common market project.
Williams favors more trade with Britishmainly inis hostile to Premier Cheddi Jagan on both ideological and racial grounds. Williams is alert to the uture political alignment between the East Indian minority In Trinidad, chaWMf If" "LtaSE under Williams' Negro gcMVtWflW. and the East Indian partyIn British Guiana.
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