custin: struggles of the working class. Of cours, demands for the TUC and the Labcur Govcenment to adopt a programme for workers control and nationalisation are CHILLI BUT COCK WEBIN I GET ETELE insolat as the mass struggle itsell can be Barone ero use to pur there demands into practice, As long as the IC relegates the mass struggle to "pressure politics and fails to provide a click by which the strugele can be exrended and transformed, it will THE WISTILISIBW NICK ADAMS It is just 96 years since Cyprus first - a talia, shop. on despite the granting of indepen dence in 1960.
Turkish Ottoman Empire. But Britain had become increasingly interested in the island as its own empire expanded in the mid 19th century With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1875), Cyprus became of key strategic importance in defending the sea-roule to India.
"ACT OF DUPLICITY'
island soon presenced itself. In a secret deal in April 1878 the British administration' of Cyprus. The deal was sufficiently underhand to be as 'an act of duplicity not surpassed, and rarely equalled, in the history of nation:"
when he assumed office.
Certainly duplicity wan a fair description as far as the Cypriots were concerned. Turkey had earlier defaulted on a British Joan: so it was agreed that Britain should nominally pay Turkey a yearly tribute of in fact po straight-anto the British Exchequer as repayment of the loan. This money was to be raised by taxing a third party and poverty-stricken population of Сургич.
To sugar the pill, a Legislative Council consisting of 12 elected merbers (nine Greek Cypriots and three Turkish Cypriots) and six Brittasted the fruits of British imperialist rule. Yet their bitter taste still lingers Until 1878, Cyprus was part of the in 1869 (and its purchase by Britain An opportunity to acquire the Prime Minister, Disraell, promised to prop up the collapsing Turkish Empire in recurn for British occupation and described by Liberal leader Gladstone though he, needless to say, did nothing to alter the situation status of Cyprus. £92,800 for the island, which would the small ish officials was set up in 1882. But since the Turkish Cypriots were persuaded to identify their interests as a minority with those of their British "protectors', and the British High Commissioner had a casting vote, Greek Cypriot proposals were invariably defeated. Nothing could have been better calculated to women relations between the two communities The divide and rule tactic was already at work LABOUR PARTY Faced with cheir complete impot ence in the Legistative Council. howexer, the Greek Cypriots began to organise direct appeals to the British Governmen! in Whitehall. They were much encouraged by the Labour Party's decision in 1919 to raise the demand of self-determination for Cyprus, and great things were expected from the first Labour Government in 1924. But Labour in office was just as subservient to imperialism fifty years ago as it is today. Ramsey Macdonald solemnly announced: His Majesty's Government are not contemplating any change in the political Still, in 1924 Ramsey Macdonald headed a minority Government. Per haps, thought the Cypriots. things would be different once Labour had gaitied an overall majority. But they were in for a rude shock. A special delegation to London in 1929 was told by the new Colonial Secrecary that the question was "definitely closed", and that there is much to be said for the view that what Cyprus needs at present are fewer occasions for political discussion and more occasions for constructive work. That Colonial Secretary was the well; known Fabian, Sidney Webb Webb's words were certainly prophetic. Occasions for political 1950s EOKA leader Grivas-his brand of right-wing nationalism allowed Imperialism to plan for the future discussion had already been reduced by the Seditious Publications Law of 1921 - five publications were hanned in 1928 alone - but much worse was still to come By 1931, British imperialist nue