THE FUTURE OF CYPRUS
SIR,—In his article Cyprus after Fifty Years, which appeared in your issue of March 28th, Mr. Kenneth Williams refers to the Greeks of Cyprus as "Greek-speaking." May I point out that the people of Cyprus are not merely Greek-speaking, but are Greek in every respect and particularly in national consciousness. The island has been Hellen:c in character from the dawn of its history to this day, as archxological research and historical study amply show. Mr. Williams speculates as to how many Britons can say with certitude whether Cyprus is in Europe or in Asa, and whether it should be incorporated with Greece. That the people of Cyprus, however, whether the island is in Europe or in Asia, are entitled to decide their , own future, is a question on which all fair- minded people should, I believe, be able to give an answer with certi- tude. Particularly after a war fought in the cause of liberty, and at a time when the principle of self-determination is so promptly applied to the peoples of Asia and Africa, a denial of that same principle to the Cypriots can hardly find a justification.
It would seem that considerations of strategy in the defence of the Eastern Mediterranean may have been responsible for the refusal by the British Government of the claims for union with Greece, recently - put forward by the National Delegation of Cyprus. Quite apart, how- ever, from the .argument that a people's right to national freedom cannot be disregarded on that account, I would submit that the more broadly conceived interests of that very defence require a satisfactory solution of the problem of Cyprus. This island by itself, without Egypt or Palestine. can be of little use for defence purposes ; its natural formation does not lend itself to the construction of a first-class, naval base. The contribution of Greece is, therefore, indispensable. But financial assistance to it is not all ; the unanimity of its people in a whole-hearted support should be attained, and any cause tending to alienate them from the western democracies eliminated.
The question of Cyprus is becoming increasingly vital to the people of Greece. Leadine editorials in the Greek Press regularly deal with the subject ; it is argued that Greece today is the only member of the United Nations that has to see a not inconsiderable portion of its people outside its own State and under foreign rule, and the urgency for a remedy to this state of affairs is emphasised. More particularly since the failure of the Greek claims at the Peace Conference, attention has been focused on Cyprus. The incorporation of the island is now the one issue upon which all parties in Greece from the extreme Right to the extreme Left are in complete agreement ; it forms their only common ground, and it could well serve as a basis for a better under- standing of the bulk of the people, and as a means of burying their differences. The recent resolution unanimously passed by the Greek Parliament appealing to the British nation for the union of Cyprus with Greece "by friendly arrangement" is a further indication of the importance of a solution of the question of Cyprus, in a way satisfactory to all parties concerned. A gallant gesture by Great Britain in this respect not only would greatly enhance British prestige and British position in Greece, but would also act as a stabilising factor upon the political orientation of the whole Greek people, thereby greatly con- tributing to the defence of the Eastern Mediterranean.—Yours faithfully,
Park Lane Hotel, Piccadilly, W. r. ZENO ROSSIDES.
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