Britain Could Handle Cyprus Without Help

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30364, 13 February 1964, Page 13

Britain Could Handle Cyprus Without Help

(N.Z.P.A .-Reuter— Copyright)

OTTAWA, February 12.

A denial that Britain was physically unable to carry out all necessary commitments in Cyprus was made in Ottawa last night by the British Prime Minister (Sir Alec Douglas-Home).

Sir Alec Douglas-Home, interviewed, said Britain could go on policing Cyprus alone. .. . “We don’t call for an international force because we couldn’t do it, but because we think the Cyprus problem ought to be internationalised if it is to be resolved.”

He pointed to the dispatch of British troops to help quell army mutinies in East Africa as an example of how Britain carried out her responsibilities with speed and efficiency.

Britain wanted troops from N ATO, or Commonwealth countries or both “to hold the ring" in Cyprus and stop the Greek and Turkish communities “getting at each other’s throats while a political settlement is worked cut.” He thought negotiators were “very near to establishing an international force” and believed it could be known in the next day or two whether President Makarios would accept the plan.

If President Makarios concurred, the council then

would be able to approve the Western action without a formal resolution. But informed sources say that if there was insistence on a resolution, the United States —now committed to the dispatch of 1200 men—might feel obliged to withdraw its participation. Sir Alec Home disclosed he would bring up the sale of British buses to Cuba and

explain Britain’s trade policy towards Dr. Castro when he meets President Johnson in Washington today. Britain was a very loyal supporter of the policy of banning strategic goods to Communist

countries but had always followed ordinary commercial policies in exporting peaceful goods to any country which wanted to buy. Fat And Friendly

“We have never thought economic sanctions achieve the end which the United States believes, and so we have always thought that the fatter and more comfortable a Russian or a Chinese is the less likely he is to be in an aggressive mood,” said Sir Alec Home. New details of the BritishAmerican plan were unfolded as the British Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Butler) conferred with the United Nations Secretary-General (U Thant). They were together for one hour 40 minutes—so minutes with no-one else in the room —and what they said then was kept secret. The British said the plan was still in a fluid state and would remain so until the United States Under-Secre-tary of State (Mr George Ball) returns from an urgent air tour with a report of what is ’ acceptable to the Governments of Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. Mr Ball is expected to be back in the United States by Friday.