Agreement On Cyprus May Not Bring Quick Peace

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27896, 18 February 1956, Page 9

Agreement On Cyprus May Not Bring Quick Peace

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, February 16. “There is a happy belief in Cyprus that agreement at last has been reached between the Governor, Sir John Harding, and Archbishop Makarios, but even should this be so, there is no reason to think that peace will once more descend on the island,” says the Nicosia correspondent of the “Daily Mail.”

He says that apart from the truculent attitude of the Turkish minority Sir John Harding and Archbishop Makarios will together have to face threats from two other directions—from Bishop Kyprianos of Kyrenia and from the Communists. “It has always been expected that as soon as the Governor and the Archbishop appeared to be in agreement the Communist effort to disturb the peace would be greatly intensified. “This is already proving to be the case. Intelligence reports show that Communists are infiltrating in ever-increasing numbers into the Eoka (terrorist) groups to ‘keep the ball rolling.’ Their declared intention is to drive the British off the island.”

Bishop Kyprianos has become the leader round whom all the GreekCypriot extremists are now rallying. “He stands for enosis (union with Greece) and only enosis. “He is determined to oppose Archbishop Makarios on every issue raised. “This schism in the church explains why a big section of the most fanatical Eoka terrorists is no longer under control of Archbishop Makarios.” The Nicosia correspondent of the “Daily Mr.il” also gives the reason for false reports that Britain has been jamming Athens Radio. He says that tests have shown that the jamming comes from behind the Iron Curtain. In blotting out Radio Madrid, the Communists are effectively silencing Radio Athens, which operates on the same wavelengh.