THE CHINA MAIL,
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1958.
[CYPRUS
"CAN'T WE PIND A NICE OPERATING TABLE AND DO THE JOB COMFORTABLY?"
PARTITION
World Copyright by arrangement with the Manchester Quardian
All set for violence
ONE side or the other in
Cyprus is going to flip the switch for a big ex- plosion whether Britain
makes a policy statement or no1.
The count down to this explosion seems endless,
The single numbers start- ed early in December when Greek speaking students rloted as the island's pro lem came before UNO.
DONALD WISE phones this despatch trom Cyprus as all the signs thore point to now and serious troublo on the way.
T
THE ONLY WAY TO PEACE
IN CYPRUS
How can
What is the future for Cyprus? peace bo brought to that bloodstained island in the Eastorn Mediterranoan?
→ Sir John Harding, the man who was Governor there until last year and ruled it during the period when terrorism was at its worst, puts his views on record.
HOSE people, and they are many, who have the best
interests of Cyprus at heart and are desperately anxious to see an end to this sad and sorry dispute must have been shocked-though hardly surprised-by the recent violent outbursts of the Turks in Cyprus.
such
There can be no excuse for riotous behaviour, which, apart from the needless loss of life and damage it has caused, will have done nothing but harm to the Turks themselves and the prospects of a settlement.
As Sir Hugh Foot wisely stated on his recent departure from London, peace and goodwill in Cyprus are essential if the search for a solution is to be successful.
30
relationships
against the British made between the various communi- senior Government man Bayles and interests in the island are concerned, confidence — or to me seriously:-
rather the lack of lt — La the heart of the matter.
"I did not go to the bank this morning. I thought that perhaps I would step backwards on someone's
off."
Armenians, Maronites, and night now. He is brought Britons all feel it.
out in the day time not toes and set the whole thing knowing whom he may have to fight.
It is as explosive as that.
The Greeks believe we have given in to the Turks. The Turks suspect us of wanting to do a deal with the Greeks.
Antagonism
by FIELD-MARSHAL·
Sir JOHN HARDING
Uon in such violent fashion does cuvlly indoctrinated in church not necessarily mean that it is and school with the fanaticism the only, much less the best of Encsis, and corrupted to the ON the mainland antagonism way to safeguard their interests point at which the majority any believe that murder is justified and compose their tears, between Greeks and Turks more than the Greeks' resort to to secure their enda. has existed for centuries. And in terrorism la support of their spite of the wise statesmanship claim shown by Venizelos and Kemal
Athens, he is told, is sick of the problem. London is
wars, siek of the problem. Turkey
The disastrous clash
Business men can see is sick of the problem. between British troops their profits from the and the Cyprus Turky troubles vanishing in clouds
I can tell you that the brought the count down to of tear gas, if not volleys of British soldier's feelings on the figure one.
the subject are hotter than
shots.
Zeta.
Now the nights are bitter
The British soldier is with cold and n bottomless confined to his awful cold depression. Greeks, Turks, and wet tented camp at ness,
The great surge of bitter- anger, and hate
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New troops learning the warren of streets that is Nicosia's old walled town make constant familiarisa- tion patrols.
Redeaps in Land-Rovers poke the muzzles of their Sterling guns at you as you drive behind them.
Move Out
has
for Dosis meant
H
and the onus of proof les fairly and squarely on the Greeks.
It is for them to convinco tho
Turks that they have nothing fear from Greek and Grock- Cypriot aspirations regarding Сурга
Only way
At the same time the Turks ir. Cyprus must show that they have recovered their self- The Cyprus problem is that
10 met challenge leadership
They and disciplino and restraint. Ataturk in their efforts to bring their demands must be
strictly observe their statemanship--the leadership of must their two countries together regardless of the consequences, the two main communities in leaders' call for patience and between the two world
What it does do, is surely to Cyprus and the statesmanship, calm. and the consummation of this establish even more clearly than not only of the three countries courtship in the mariage cere before that none of the parties directly involved, but of all the In Cyprus inw and order must mony of the Balkan Pact, the 10 this dispute can have it all member nations
The security of the North be maintained. mulual
1 cendence
trust
must know needed to stand the strain of a
that they their own way, that a lasting Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces and peaceful solution can only and the Bagdad Pact.
have the full support of Parlia- serious clash of interests
with ment in dealing firmly be found through a compromise, unfortunately never been and that to bring about a com If, in the absence of any violence from whatever quarter established
a last it comes. This has been all too clearly Promiso bath Greeks and Turks better solution, and as
03 the mainland and in the resort, partition comes to be demonstrated by the rigid way island will have to make applied, it will be a confession In which the Governments and concessions. peoples of both countries have entrenched themselves in their respective positions over Cyprus,
Objections regardless of the fact that they have a greater need than ever
shoulder
developments haya ABOVE il, 11 shoulder against the wiles and
that clear abundantly
partition stems fiom fear, shown that without the support all movement is frozen, est of thedr sonymon Greeks
pressures
and Turko
must deep and genuine fear of what and agreement of all parties Bars and night-clubs are adversary to the north.
each establish in the other might happen if self-determina- concerned, Greeks and Turks,
of con- tion on genuine feeling deserted.
In Cyprus itself the two com-
the Cyprus strict majordty basis. problem has uny chanco and munities lived
worked fidence if there is ever to be a No more smiles in the together
were imposed on Cyprus. dis-
lasting success. In the matter of British
settlement of this unhappy rulo street. Just the gritty, without serimis dissention for pute that has any reality in it, jagged atmosphere of fear. over 15 years from 1878. when or any chance of surviving the is to prove it to be unfounded, must be made to prevail.
Parliament 112 Westminster stresses and strains to which it became responsible for the will inevitably be exposed in the administration of the island, until 1955, when the advocates
Every house and flat hus a "curfew" cupboard full of food against the day when before to stund
Many wealthy people have moved over to Beirut, in the Lebanon, to wait there for the big bang.
There are no visitors to Cyprus, but safe ski-slope hotels in the Troodos Moun tains are packed with Greek Cypriots also waiting to get out. An Army officer's wife complained to me that three times she was nearly run down deliberately in the Turkish quarter of Nicosiu.
Deliberately? I wonder. But it shows the frame of mind hereabouts.
under
to
of Enosis (the union of Cyprus with Grecce) resorted to violence to try to further their
political alm.
Confidence
future.
makes
The Government
has stated of failure of failure in leader- that to have the best chance of the solution of this ship and statesmanship and Sticcoss primarily a failure of Greek, not Cyprus problem must command British, leadership and states the support and agreement of manship.
all partics concerned.
it
The Turkish deman:t
been the
To anyone who has closely associated with ambilstration of government In Cyprus the problems of partition scem almost Insurmontable.
There are strong objections to humanitarian it on social and grounds, for administrative and speaking, men
economic reasons and because of and women of all races and the damage it would do to the exis in Cyprus had confidence value of the Island as a militory in the fairies of the British Administration and in its firm It is questionable, lo put it intention to hold the balance mildly, whether it would really between the conflicting views put
ENERALLY
base.
ΠΗ end to the dapute
at interests which have always between Greece and Turkey over the detand, or bring an era existed.
of peace and prosperity to the Generally speaking, too, the two communities. minorities in Cyprus ad cond- dence in Great Britain as the To divide a small island that A betting man would sovereign Power confidence in has been throughout history a make a good wager if he the wisdom of our Governments single political and economic took odds of 6-4 on Eoka, d in our intention to discharge unit and in which the various are Intermingled our responsibility to maintain communities the Greek speaking low and order and to ensure that and complementary stems an terrorists, starting trouble. in any changes that might be unnatural thing to do-and un- have almost made in the system of gover- natural things ment their interests would be always proved to be wrong. properly anfeguarded
On the other hand, The atmosphere created by showing admirable restraint in this confidence led many people
face of severo prevocation Before last week, when in this country to suppose that during the two years of Greek
Turkish
terrorism, the Turkish Cypriots arixielles
the over seven Turks died, the idea
bavo, rightly or wrongly, come future of Cyprus and the
by of anything but Eoka position of the Turkish-Cypriot to believe that it is only trouble was unthinkable. community could safely be partition that they can preserve
brushed aside of not ignored; all they hold dear. Now the Army's big hope that to do otherwise was to give
Count Over
the
is that if and when there the Turks a veto in a question Fanaticism
so it was cirimed, is a statement on Cyprus in which,
to be they had no right even from London it will enrage heard. one community only. It
Some people went further wid cannot please both.
said that Turkish fears about A senior officer told me: crafty creation of
Cyprus were nothing but a so-called Turks "With both
and British Imperialism, Greeks against UB, the
.
island is ungovernable." Compromise
The long count-down la
over. There is going to be NOTHING could be further.
after
QOME Turkish-Cypriots, men of Intelligence and respon- sibility, have
that told me having been brought up wlib Greeks under British rule they; have no doubt or fear about their own ability to live and work in harmony with Greeks of their own ago and status brought up under similar con- ditions,
Their fear was that in any
children and
their
an explosion If both Turk from the truth. That those circumstances other than parti- and Greek turn against us tears were submerges does not tion their
civilon that they did not exist, as children's children would be at recent tragio events have shown, the mercy of 'a Greek-Cypriot But the fact that tho Túrks majortly belonging to the rising in Cyprus hayo 'demanded' parti" genitration which ban besz wo
Bavagely there will be
war between those communitica as well.
two
for
Latest
solution of
The way to remove that fear Cyprus the collective interest
ZANIES
Bill Tidy
MIND YOUR HEAD
hon Glashows.
"I've a sugpking'amplelon somonna's honn kars before,