The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1971, Síða 21

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
19
found it necessary to merely stand by
and watch as the battle raged. Only
the threat of a Turkish invasion of
the island coupled with American
diplomatic pressure was successful in
halting the fighting.
While the political situation in
Cyprus has improved substantially
since the Kophinuo crisis, and at least
now Greek and Turk Cypriot author-
ities are meeting together in an at-
tempt to resolve their diffrences,
UNFICYP yet remains a highly visible
element all over the island.
How then does one judge the value
of this force? Before making any judge-
ment it must be understood that the
UN Force was not created to solve the
Cyprus problem—only to prevent a re-
currence of the fighting and to con-
tribute to the creation of an atmos-
phere in which the two sides could
work out their differences. UNFICYP
has no mandate to impose a solution.
In this light one would have to grant
that UNFICYP has had at least a
qualified success. First, without the
UN presence a brutal and bloody
civil war would have been likely.
UNFICYP has, for the most part,
kept violence from being constantly
in the forefront of Cypriot life. It
has, through patient negotiation, kept
essential services in being on both
sides of the barricades, and through
its economic programme has kept
alive the economy of the country.
Perhaps that is really all that could
be expected. No group of soldiers,
however dedicated, can change at-
titudes and opinions created over a
hundred years of hate and mistrust in
but seven short years. In the seven
years of relative calm perhaps men of
good will on both sides will have been
able to reflect on the futility of trying
to impose a solution on the other
group by force of arms. Perhaps this
was what was meant by the drafters
of the UN Charter when in 1945 they
said “since it is in the minds of men
that wars are begun, it is in the minds
of men where the foundations for
peace must be built”.
NOTE—The author, now an officer
with the 8th Canadian Hussars, served
for eleven years with The Fort Garry
Horse, in Canada, Germany and Cyp-
rus. While in Cyprus he commanded
the Canadian troops deployed to the
scene of the tragic battle at Kophinou
in November 1967. He was co-editor
of a Regimental History of The Fort
Garry Horse published in May of this
year. A graduate of the University of
Manitoba who studied Icelandic under
Haraldur Bessason, he was the recipi-
ent of the Icelandic-Canadian Scholar-
ship in 1956.
Captain Marteinson is (the son of
Mr. and Mrs. John Marteinson, of
Langruth, Manitoba. —Editor
THE GUNLGGSDN ARBORETUM IN NORTH DAKOTA
A Gunlogson Arberetum, in North-
eastern North Dakota, six miles west
of Cavalier, invites visitors “to enjoy
the natural beauty of this plant, an-
imal and bird sanctuary”. The varied
terrain includes a gravel ridge which
was once a beach of Lake Agassiz.
There is a variety of communities and
wildlife. The Tongue River runs
through the park.
The Arboretum is a part of the
North Dakota Park Service. It com-
prises 200 acres, including the original
homestead of the Gunlogson family,
which dates back to 1880. Mr. Gun-
logson gave this land to the State of
North Dakota.