CYPRUS: Birth of a Republic

Since World War II, so many British governors have surrendered sovereignty over former colonies that the procedure has become an art form. In 24 hours last week, Sir Hugh Foot, last British Governor of Cyprus, conducted a midnight ceremony transferring power to the new Republic of Cyprus, held a farewell dress reception for diplomats and a garden leave-taking for 200 personal friends. Then, still resplendent in plumed hat and gold braid. ex-Governor Foot boarded Her Majesty’s frigate Chichester and sailed over the horizon to a specially composed bagpipe lament entitled Sir Hugh’s Farewell to Cyprus.

As the Chichester disappeared. Cyprus’ independence party noticeably warmed. When 1,600 Greek and Turkish soldiers debarked from their homelands to stand guard duty over the infant republic alongside Cyprus’ own future army, one Turkish centenarian fell on a startled Turkish infantryman’s neck, blubbered that he had not set eyes on a Turkish uniform since the last Ottoman garrison sailed away in 1878. For Greek Cypriots, the day was made when a plane from Athens landed 21 EOKA terrorists—freedom fighters to the Cypriots—whom the British had exiled 17 months ago.

So many screeching women and teenagers rushed up to kiss the returning heroes and pelt them with garlands of laurel that Archbishop Makarios, Cyprus’ new President, hastily revamped a prepared speech to remind his people that Cyprus still faces grave economic and political problems. Added Makarios pointedly: the best thing EOKA men could do now would be to lay down their Sten guns and get to work.

Cyprus is the 15th new nation to be born this year.* Two more African nations (Mauritania and Nigeria) should be on their own before the year is out. All this brings the number of sovereign states to 102, even when the cold-war divided twins (the two Germanys, two Chinas and two Koreas) are counted as only three nations. If last week’s split-up between the two halves of the 16-month-old Mali Federation—the onetime French Sudan and French Senegal—proves permanent, the count may soon be 103.

* The others, all African: Republic of the Congo (Belgian), Republic of the Congo (French), Dahomey, Chad, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Niger, Republic of the Upper Volta, Gabon, Mali Federation, Malagasy Republic, Republic of Cameroun, Togolese Republic and Republic of Somalia.