“Carol” Rivets British Public Opinion on Our Island
Mauritius Times – 70 Years
We have often complained that Mauritius and Mauritian affairs have little publicity in Great Britain. Until ten days ago, Mauritius was known by the British public primarily because of the famous blue penny stamp. The visit of Princess Margaret in 1956 drew some attention to us. And that was all. But cyclone Carol seems to have done the trick.
Mauritius has been highlighted by the British Press. Leading papers like The Times, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, and The Daily Telegraph devoted much space to accounts of the passage of Carol over here. Several of them printed maps of Mauritius, and some others front-paged the news. We used to think that British journalists were not interested in Mauritius; the British public had very little news about Mauritius. But there is no doubt now that the British people have been apprised of our existence and also of our problems.
We hope that this interest, created by a tragedy, will be kept alive.
Mauritian writers should now write not only for the British press but for other foreign papers as well. This is one of the best ways of making Mauritius known. The more we are known in the outside world, the more it will help us.
In the UK, some friends of Mauritius, particularly Sir Hilary Blood and Peter Ibbotson, never miss any opportunity to give publicity to Mauritius. Reverend R. Simon, who is doing missionary work in London, has started an association with the aim of publicising Mauritius. We would like to see our students and settlers in England as active as their West Indian counterparts. The Ministerial delegation to London has certainly done a great deal to put Mauritius on the world map.
Below are extracts from some London dailies:
The Times 29 Feb 1960
Britain to Increase £2M Disaster Aid
Ten people are reported to have died in a cyclone which hit the island of Mauritius on Saturday night and raged for 14 hours, with gusts reaching 160 miles an hour. The Colonial Office described the cyclone as the worst experienced by the island since 1892 — and Mauritius lies in the part of the Indian Ocean where cyclones are frequent and severe.
The Colonial Office spokesman said last night that the cyclone had blown itself out but “damage on the island is pretty extensive.” The cruiser Gambia was being ordered from Trincomalee (Ceylon) as a precautionary measure, and the RAF was standing by.
The Admiralty said later that the Gambia was sailing first thing this morning with provisions and medical supplies.
A deputation of Ministers from Mauritius is already in London seeking financial help after a cyclone last month. The British Government, it was stated last night, were intending to offer £2m out in view of the new disaster and are “urgently considering what further measures of financial assistance may be needed.”
Substantial Grants
Last night’s Colonial Office statement said that talks between the delegation from Mauritius and the Government had reached a point at which an announcement was imminent of substantial financial assistance towards a programme of reconstruction arising from last month’s cyclone. It went on:
The intention was to announce grants and loans from Her Majesty’s Government totalling up to £2m, subject to parliamentary approval as necessary.
In view of the second disaster which has now struck the island, Her Majesty’s Government is giving urgent consideration, in consultation with the Mauritius Government, to what further measures of financial assistance may now be needed.
The Governor has been asked what emergency supplies are most needed…
Offers of Help
The British Red Cross has cabled to its branch in Mauritius offering money to buy relief supplies locally and also offering experienced personnel from Britain and any special goods required. The Red Cross said this was to supplement the work of a number of British Red Cross detachments on the island.
The Order of St. John has cabled £500 to the Commissioner of the St. John Ambulance Brigade on the island for relief purposes and is arranging for immediate supplies of blankets and other materials to be flown out.
Mr V. Ringadoo, Minister of Labour and Social Security for the Mauritius Government, who is a member of the deputation in London, said last night that he and his colleagues had planned to fly from London Airport to Paris today and on to Mauritius tomorrow. At the moment, they would go ahead with these plans unless they heard that the airport in Mauritius was out of use.
“We had completed our talks in London,” said Mr Ringadoo. “We are anxious to get back to assist in the relief work.”
Last Month’s Toll
He said that six people were killed in last month’s cyclone. About 20,000 houses — one in six on the island — were destroyed. The latest cyclone must be “grim” in view of the fact that it was the worst since 1892. Then the capital, Port Louis, was flattened.
Mauritius has been a British possession since it was taken from the French in 1810. It has a mixed population of about 500,000.
* * *
News Chronicle 29 Feb 1960
Cyclone Isle will get £2m aid
Britain’s island colony, Mauritius, counted its dead for the second time in a month yesterday as a 14-hour hurricane blew itself out in the Indian Ocean.
First reports said that 10 people died and widespread damage was caused as gusts up to 160 mph swept the island. It lies 550 miles from Madagascar and 2,500 miles from the naval base at Trincomalee, Ceylon.
Warship Going
The cruiser Gambia will sail from Trincomalee, with relief supplies today. RAF planes are standing by in Kenya, 2,000 miles from the stricken island.
The Colonial Office said that Saturday night’s cyclone was the worst to hit the island since 1892.
News of it was received in London yesterday while a deputation of Ministers from Mauritius was seeking financial aid after last month’s cyclone.
To help the island recover from the disaster, the Government was about to announce grants and loans up to £2 million.
* * *
The Guardian 29 Feb 1960
Ten Killed in Cyclone
Help worth at least £2 million is proposed for the island of Mauritius, which was struck by its worst cyclone since 1892 on Saturday. Ten people are reported killed, and units of the Royal Navy and RAF have been asked to stand by.
The cyclone is the second to hit the island in six weeks, and a delegation of Ministers is already in Britain seeking help. The Colonial Office said last night that the Government had intended to offer £2 million, but as a result of this latest disaster, it was considering further help.
160-MPH Gusts
According to a telegram from the Mauritius authorities, which was received at the Colonial Office yesterday morning, gusts of over 160 mph were recorded in the cyclone, which raged at “great strength” for fourteen hours during Saturday night. Serious damage was caused and communications disrupted. For all six hours, the cyclone blew at 100 mph, but when the telegram arrived in London, the storm appeared to have “pretty well blown itself out,” according to a Colonial Office spokesman…
* * *
The Times 1 March 1960
Houses and Crops Flattened
A Colonial Office spokesman said in London yesterday that a cable, received from Mauritius, estimated that 50 percent of the houses in Port Louis had been badly damaged or destroyed. The Albion Dock and the railway station were also severely damaged.
A telegram to the Mauritius Government delegation in London said that the other chief towns — Rose Hill and Curepipe — had suffered on the same scale as the capital.
Prompt Aid from Britain
Red Cross to fly out Relief Supplies
Immediate aid for the stricken people of Mauritius from Britain — both official and by the Red Cross — was announced yesterday.
A Colonial Office spokesman said that British experts would be sent out to assess the amount of damage caused. Arrangements had been completed to ensure a supply of repair materials, such as corrugated iron, nails, and copper wire; and arrangements were also in hand for sending field kitchens, clothing, blankets, and other essential supplies.
Recalling that as a short-term measure, the Government had announced loans and grants of £2m, the spokesman said: “As soon as financial needs in relation to the long-term are known, the Government will then consider what further financial assistance is required.”
Cruiser Sails
British Red Cross headquarters said that five tons of supplies — mostly blankets and clothing — were being flown to Mauritius by way of Nairobi. The first consignment would leave today, followed by flights on Thursday and Saturday.
The branch in Kenya would send immediately trained Red Cross relief workers to the stricken area.
The cruiser Gambia, carrying provisions and medical supplies, sailed from Trincomalee, in Ceylon, on Sunday night for Mauritius. The Gambia was to have left early yesterday, but an Admiralty spokesman in London said that she had been ordered to “sail with all dispatch.”
An Air Ministry spokesman said that Transport Command aircraft in Aden were standing by in case help was needed in flying out supplies of food and clothing.
Meanwhile, Mr George Wilson, Financial Secretary to the Mauritius Government, and Mr V. Ringadoo, Minister of Labour, left London yesterday for Paris on their way home. They had been discussing with the British Government the question of financial aid for the island after the damage caused by the previous cyclone last month, when six people were killed and 20,000 houses destroyed.
7th Year – No 289
Friday 11th March, 1960
Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 29 November 2024
An Appeal
Dear Reader
65 years ago Mauritius Times was founded with a resolve to fight for justice and fairness and the advancement of the public good. It has never deviated from this principle no matter how daunting the challenges and how costly the price it has had to pay at different times of our history.
With print journalism struggling to keep afloat due to falling advertising revenues and the wide availability of free sources of information, it is crucially important for the Mauritius Times to survive and prosper. We can only continue doing it with the support of our readers.
The best way you can support our efforts is to take a subscription or by making a recurring donation through a Standing Order to our non-profit Foundation.
Thank you.
