At Nicosia airport, a British field marshal stepped off an R.A.F. Hastings transport, eyed the awaiting refreshments, turned to a cluster of local dignitaries and snapped, "Let's cut the cocktails and go into town." Sir John Harding had taken over as the new governor of Britain's crown colony of Cyprus.
Within an hour, Governor Harding telephoned Archbishop Myriarthefs Makarios, leader of the Greek Cypriot drive for enosis (union) with Greece, and arranged to meet him next day on the "neutral ground" of Nicosia's Ledra Palace hotel. Then the governor conferred in fast succession with 35 local officials, called in newsmen to...
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