9007.
No. 140.
(CYPRUS.)
SIB,
LAW OFFICERS to COLONIAL OFFICE.
C. O.,
Royal Courts of Justice, April 29, 1897. We were honoured with your commands, signified in Mr. Wingfield's letter of F. O., the 27th instant, stating that he was directed to transmit to us the correspondence April 21. between the Colonial Office and the Foreign Office respecting the position of Cyprus April 23. during the existence of hostilities between Turkey and Greece."
That, as we were aware, Cyprus was occupied and administered by Her Majesty in April virtue of the Treaty with the Sultan of the 4th June 1878.
That the position of the Island in the event of hostilities between Greece and Turkey was carefully considered by our predecessors in the Report, dated the 8th January 1881,* of which a copy was enclosed with Mr. Wingfield's letter, and that in accordance with their recommendations the Cyprus Neutrality Order in Council 1881 was passed.
That recruiting for the Greek Army had already taken place amongst the Christian population of Cyprus, and that it was not improbable that it might be continued and lead to remonstrances from the Sultan, and that in any case it would be inconsistent with Her Majesty's position as a neutral Sovereign to allow Cyprus to be made use of by either belligerent as a recruiting ground, or for other purposes connected with the That in accordance, therefore, with the suggestion in the Foreign Office letter of the 26th instant the accompanying draft of a Proclamation to be issued by the High Commissioner of Cyprus had been prepared, based on the draft of the Neutrality Proclamation intended to be issued in this country, and Mr. Wingfield was to request that we would take it into consideration and advise you whether it was proper and sufficient, and that we would furnish you with any observations which we might have to offer for the guidance of the Cyprus Government in the circumstances.
war.
In obedience to your commands, we have the honour to
Report-
That in our opinion the accompanying Draft Proclamation, as initialled by us, is, in the circumstances, proper and sufficient.
The Right Hon. J. Chamberlain, M.P.,
&c.
&c.
&c.
We have, &c.
RICHARD E. WEBSTER. ROBERT B. FINLAY.
F. O.,
26.
A PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS Her Majesty is happily at peace with all Sovereigns, Powers, and States: And whereas, notwithstanding Her Majesty's utmost exertions to preserve peace between the two Sovereign Powers, a state of war unhappily exists between his Imperial Majesty the Sultan of Turkey and his Majesty the King of the Hellenes:
And whereas Her Majesty is on terms of friendship and amicable intercourse with each of these Sovereigns, and with their several subjects and others inhabiting within their countries, territories, or dominions:
And whereas the island of Cyprus, by virtue of the treaty of the 4th of June 1878 between Her Majesty and His Imperial Majesty the Sultan, is occupied and administered by Her Majesty:
all
And whereas Her Majesty, being desirous of preserving to the natives of Cyprus and persons domiciled there the blessings of peace, which they now happily enjoy, is firmly purposed and determined to maintain a strict and impartial neutrality in the said state of war unhappily existing between the aforesaid Sovereigns:
Her Majesty has therefore thought fit, by orders under the band of Her Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, to instruct me to issue this proclamation.
• 95386.-19,
23-5/97.
• No. 244 in Vol. III.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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C.O.885
Reference :-
14 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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