Interesting read. I still think Eric could have held on with 9 territories, but sentiments were high at that time. If the rest wanted the Fed. they would have asked Eric to hang in there. That is my opinion. Funny thing, Australia was not split up, Canada was not split up, India was lucky not to be split up like the Africans. Look at these 3 countries now. They are a economically, politically and administratively better run nations than the Caribbean and Africa.
India didn't get carve up like a Christmas turkey like Africa, but looking at things today, they probably lucked out by dropping Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Now there's an interesting debate! There are a number of historians (whom I throw my lot in with) who believe that the region would have been much better off had there been no separation and the two groups had to get on with each other, with guaranteed rights.
Australia, Canada, and India all have a number of bonuses that none of the Caribbean countries, united or divided, would have had. Caribbean countries are all small (if 1.6 million is small...) population islands, dramatically increasing the cost of internal transportation and leaving a small internal market (every island needs a port and needs to ship in bulk to save cost, roads are much more cost-effective). Really that's the biggest problem the islands face - the cost of anything not made domestically is very high relative to other essential items.
I'd still have been in favour of a federation (I think a larger body would have been able to stand up better to the powers of the world, and have done wonders for our sports :p), but the smaller islands would have been right to be afraid - often the smaller partners are forgotten about, as power and wealth concentrates in the administrative centres and places with highest potential (i.e. Jamaica and Trinidad). Moreover, decisions might become less accountable in the smaller islands - at the time of the federation Jamaica has a higher population than all the other islands combined, complicating matters a little.