January–June 1936

9, Plutarch Street, Athens,

April 24th, 1936The Director of Antiquities, Cyprus Museum, Nicosia.

Dear Sir,

With respect to the acquisition of part of the Site of Curium, as recommended in my letter of April 20th, it is my understanding that the land will be acquired directly by the Government, and not in the name of the Excavators ** as was contemplated at the time of issue of the Order published under Notification No.51 in the Gazette of January 17th 1936 -- that is, that Section 17, rather than Section 16,(1),(a), par.2, of the Antiquities Law,1935, will be applied.

In that event, since we should still be directly concerned in fact if not in form, I should request that our attorney, Mr.P.L.Cacoyannis, of Limassol, be permitted to care for our interests in connection with the negotiations and arbitration to determine the compensation payable for the land.

Regarding the probable cost there has been some misapprehension because of an incomplete report concerning a mortgage on the plot LVIII-4-4. Since the principal of this mortgage was £302;8;0 it was inferred that the value of the land must be considerably greater than this sum, the fact having been overlooked that the lot No.4 was only one of twenty-three pieces of property securing the loan. Of these the total of 'sale prices' recorded was a little over £700, and the 'assessed value' then about £250. The sale price of lot No.4 was entered as 4 shillings per donum and the assessed value as 4/3. The present assessed value is 10s. per donum. (The mortgage referred to is registered under No.22359, 26 June 1923, in the L.R.O. Limassol).

Lot LVIII-4-45 was purchased by its present owner less than a yearsago at a very low price which, I judge, may fairly be taken into account in determining the compensation now to be given. The new owner can be allowed a very generous profit on his investment and still let the cost of expropriation be very reasonable. The lot was actually offered for sale in the spring of 1935 for £80 (about 29s.per donum), of which it was suggested that around £30 represented 'archaeological value'

I shall expect to be informed in due course either directly or through Mr.Cacoyannis when and how the sum to be required from us for the expropriation is to be paid.

Yours very truly,

Handwritten: signature

Handwritten: Copy to Mr.P.Cacoyannis