Mine Eyes Have Seen . . .

"If Great Britain continues to ignore us," said President Peter Adams, "we will seek alliances with other nations in the hemisphere." This troubled warning came last week from the leader of Anguilla, a 35-sq.-mi. West Indies isle, which is having some trouble making a suitable political connection. Anguilla has other difficulties: it attracts no tourists, has no natural resources or industry, lacks water and supports its population chiefly from fishing, smuggling and money sent home by Anguillans working elsewhere.

Anguilla broke its ties with St. Kitts and Nevis two months ago, chased the federation's 15-man police force off the island and declared its independence. Last week the provisional government, headed by Adams, made it more official. In a "national" referendum among Anguilla's 2,500 eligible voters, 1,813 islanders voted for independence; only five opposed it.

As a member of the British Commonwealth, St. Kitts and Nevis want Britain to intervene and restore Anguilla to the federation, but Britain claims that the situation is a problem of "internal security and not a responsibility of Her Majesty's Government." As for Anguilla itself, the provisional government wants to "explore with Britain the legal arrangements that might be appropriate for the future"--meaning, presumably, a return to the Commonwealth as an in dependent state. At week's end, Adams flew to New York on a fund-raising mission and announced that he even hopes to confer with President Johnson in Washington. One further hint of the island's thinking: its new national anthem has been set to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

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