NEW CYPRUS POLICY

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28620, 24 June 1958, Page 13

NEW CYPRUS POLICY

Fears Expressed

In Greece

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, June 23. The Greek Government, Archbishop Makarios and the leaders of Greek public opinion all feared that the new British plan for Cyprus would set the Cyprus issue on a disastrous course leading to partition, but never to enosis, the Athens’ correspondent □f “The Times” said today. They were now firmly convinced that the new plan was thd

“most evil and dangerous” of those devised by the British Government in the last four years, the correspondent said. Two distinct and opposed approaches have emerged. The first, which is subscribed by both the Greek Government and Archbishop Makarios, is that the plan must be abandoned and forgotten as soon as possible. The second approach, which presaged a political storm in Greece, was disclosed in the Opposition press. According to this the Karamanlir Government’s defeatist policy of conciliation hadcaused Greece heavy losses, and a tougher, even hostile, attitude would yield better results.

This difference of approach was already widening the gap between the Government and the Archbishop on the one hand, and the Opposition on the other, ‘‘The Times” correspondent said. This would become evident during the parliamentary debate on Cyprus tomorrow.

Confronted with the British plan the Government and the Archbishop made a prompt bur significant readjustment to their policies.

Mr Karamanlis said in his reply to Mr Macmillan “. . . . the plan would have been more constructive in proposing a temporary solution on the basis of democratic self-government under British sovereignty and- postponing a settlement on the main issue until a more appropriate time.” The Archbishop * wrote to the Governor of Cyprus “we are ready for bilateral talks between the British Government and the Cypriot people for a genuine democratic constitution of selfgovernment.”

The newspaper “Kathimerini,” which directly reflects government opinion, yesterday emphasised in no ambiguous terms what Greece was really conceding with the Archbishop’s blessing. It said: “Agreement to selfgovernment on the basis of a freely negotiated constitution for a transitory period whose duration would not be fixed in advance is the last concession of the struggling Cypriot people for the sake of disarming hatred and restoring conditions of peace, order and security in the Eastern Mediterranean region.”