FRENCH WEST INDIES: Eyes on Paris

Filibusters and rebellions roil the Caribbean ; neighboring British colonies move toward independence; nationalism flourishes. Amidst it all, the French West Indies—Martinique, Guadeloupe and their islet dependencies—glide ever closer to full membership in Charles de Gaulle’s French Community.

Sipping white rum and pure syrup poured over ice, Martinique’s mulatto intellectuals last week argued politics in Fort-de-France’s breezy cafes, but the politics were French rather than Caribbean. Over breakfasts of cafe creme avec croissants, citizens of Pointe-a-Pitre, commercial center of Guadeloupe, discussed the annual four-day bicycle race partly sponsored by the French Cycling Federation. Since 1946 the islands have been departments of France d’outre-mer (overseas) rather than colonies, and their citizens have wholeheartedly accepted the notion that the 4,250 miles of ocean separating them from the mainland are nothing more than an unfortunate geographical mistake.

The 1946 promotion from colony status brought a revolution of expectations. With plenty of mangoes, breadfruit and papayas, the islanders could not starve. But as citizens of France they demanded and got a raise in living standards toward mainland levels. Jobmaking new schools, hospitals, public buildings and government housing went up. Roads went down and quickly filled with Peugeots, Renaults and motor scooters. Literacy rose: in Martinique 99% of school-age children are in school, in Guadeloupe 80%.

Despite the fact that they get from France more than they pay back in the form of sugar, rum, coffee and bananas, the islanders are now demanding an ever greater share of the central government’s money. They complain that the minimum wages still hang below mainland standards, fret about the population surge that is adding 16,000 people a year to Martinique’s current 265,000 (on 385 sq. mi.) and Guadeloupe’s 250,000 (on 588 sq. mi.). A potential income source is tourism; the islands offer balmy beaches, inexpensive French champagne and perfume. But most hotels are still of mosquito-net, pre-Hilton vintage.

Politically, the islands followed France to the left after World War II, never made the Gaullist swing back. As members of local governing councils, the islanders elect a Gallic mixture of Communists, Socialists and left-centrists. But the Communists, who control about 25% of the vote in Martinique, 40% in Guadeloupe, carefully steer clear of the expectable cries for independence. The wisdom of their caution was plainly proved last year when the islanders gave Charles de Gaulle’s agree-or-get-out Fifth Republic referendum an overwhelming oui.