ABSTRACT
The Federation started without an office, without even chairs and tables, but in September 1959 it took a great step forward with the laying of the foundation stone of its own capital, al-Ittihad set deliberately outside the confines of Aden Colony. In June 1961 some of the Federal Ministers went to London to discuss the accession of Aden and the future of the Federation for which, the Sharif repeated, independence was the ultimate goal. The British government obtained its principal objectives, its sovereignty over Aden was not affected and it reserved the right to remove Aden or any part of it from the Federation "if it considers this desirable for the purpose of its world-wide defence responsibilities". The Federation as a whole became accustomed to a standard of living which it had not earned and which was not justified by its own resources, for it was kept up by British subsidies.
