BREACH WITH MAKARIOS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28823, 18 February 1959, Page 13

BREACH WITH MAKARIOS

Cyprus Prospects Clouded

(Nm t*r«M AMociqtion— Copyright) l (Rec. 1130 p.m.) LONDON, February 17. A breach between Archbishop Makarios and Greece over Britain’s demand for sovereignty over the bases she retains in an independent Cyprus has clouded the prospects for an amicable agreement at the round table conference on Cyprus opening in London today. In Athens, the Greek Prime Minister, Mr Constantin Karamanlis, who left for the London talks later today, urgently summoned his Cabinet to an emergency meeting early this morning. According to usually well-informed diplomatic circles, the Cabinet meeting dealt with what was described as “most serious divergencies” between the Greek delegation in London and Archbishop Makarios.

PROTESTS AT MAKARIOS Questions From “Suez Group” (Rec. 10 pm.) LONDON, Feb. 17. Brigadier Terence Clarke, a Conservative member of Parliament, protested last night against the Government's decision to negotiate over Cyprus with Archbishop Makarios. He gave notice of a Parliamentary question on the subject to the Prime Minister, Mr Macmillan. asking why it has been decided "to negotiate with Archbishop Makarios when in the past it has been clearly stated that no negotiations with him would be opened until he renounced violence.’’ Political quarters reported that a group of back-bench Conservative M.P.’s have strong misgivings about the London Cyprus talks. .The group comprises largely members of the “Suez group,” who wanted , a strong British line with Egypt at the time of the Suez crisis.

One of their number, according to political quarters, is Lord Hinchlngbrooke. They are considering a personal approach to Mr Macmillan —either by letter or deputation —to urge the publication of the original Greek-Turkish proposals On which the present negotiations are based. This group is said to feel that Parliament, in assessing what emerges from the negotiations, should know the point from wbieh they started, and the concessions which have subsequently been made on either side.

In Newcastle yesterday, Mr Alan Robertson, a Sheffield-born librarian, called at the Magistrate’s Court office and asked tor a summons or a warrant for the arrest of Archbishop Makarios. He told Mr Frank Smith, the Magistrate’s Clerk: “I want to charge him with being an accessory before the fact in conspiring with Colonel Grivas .and others in the murder of British citizens, and with conniving in the unlawful intimidation and murder of loyal Cypriots, and that he traitorously plotted with a foreign Power to seize parts of the Queen’s possessions.” After Mr Robertson bad left. Mr Smith said: **l must look very deeply into the matter of jurisdiction. I have asked Mr Robertson to return tomorrow. ’ Mr Robertson said: “If I get the necessary power I will have Archbishop Makarios arrested and oppose bait Then I intend to 'call ex-Governor Harding and Mr Lennox-Boyd by subpoena, if necessary, to give evidence. “Hiey have already said in public that Archbishop Makarios is a criminal. Surely justice does not depend on political, whims? If this was Joe Smith he would have been arrested the moment he landed.’’ No Protest Over Graf Spec LONDON, February 16. The British Government today refused a request by a Labour MP. that it ask West Germany to choose a name other than Graf Spee for a British frigate she bought last year. Mr Arthur Lewis (Labour) told the House of Commons that the “notorious” name Graf Spee caused distress among relatives of lost British sailors. He urged a protest to Bonn.

Mr Karamanlis, who is suffering from influenza and who is accompanied by his doctor on the flight to London, decided to leave after a telephone conversation with the Greek Foreign Minister (Mr Evangelos Averof, who is said to have informed him of last-minute difficulties and objections raised by the exiled leader of the Greek

Cypriots. The Greek Cypriot attitude to Britain’s claim for sovereignty of its bases, which has been added to the Zurich agreement for an independent republic of Cyprus, is still unknown, but it is believed that the Archbishop has objected to the plan. The latest version of the plan, on which British sources yesterday said there was agreement of substance between the three Governments, was expounded to Archbishop Makarios late last night by the Cyprus Governor, Sir Hugh Foot.

Greek correspondents in London reported that Archbishop Makarios and his ethnarchy advisers presented objections .to the terms, procedure and form under which military bases would be granted to Britain in an independent Cyprus. According to the same reports, these objections were raised during an exchange of opinions of members of the Greek Cypriot “advisory committee” convened in London by the Archbishop. British correspondents say the British Government will insist that Britain should have complete freedom to use the military bases as she wishes. Archbishop -Makarios is believed to have argued that an agreement on the bases should be made after Cyprus has reached independence. This could not be acceptable to the British Government.

The “Manchester Guardian” says that Archbishop Makarios has already insisted that there can be no question of the British retaining sovereignty, but it suggests that Britain could secure her bases on a long term lease from the future Cyprus Government.

It adds: “It must be hoped that Archbishop Makarios’s ideas on ‘sovereignty’ do not include any petty ideas on supervision of how a base is run, or how forces using them are employed.”