“BE BRITISH.”

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 20, 21 December 1928, Page 7

“BE BRITISH.”

LANGUAGE IN MALTA. ENGLISH BEST. A memorandum advocating tho es- ' tablishment of an English boys’ college in Malta, which fias been drawn up by Professor Bartolo and tabled in tho local Legislative Assembly, declares, according to the Malta correspondent of the London Times, that a knowledge of a foreign language is necessary and as Malta is a part of tho British Empire, English would be tho best to teach. The memorandum adds: “In order that the people may acquiro a sound English education, it is necessary ‘to catch ’em young!’ ; “University students at prosont got l an ltalianate bias and often nil antiEnglish veneer of culture, wlicrona the elementary schools make better and wider pogress in leaning English than Italian, because the pupils favour tho exclusion of Italian.” Tho question is closely linked up with Maltese emigration. It is stilted that tho Opposition. intends to ndopt an anti-imperial attitude in order to obstruct Maltese migration within tho Empire because it would foster n knowledge of English to tho detrimont of Italian. The memorandum concludes: “It is of the highest interest to the Empire that this important outpost should bo British in other senses than flying the Union Jack.”

Augustus Bartolo, professor of Latin and of Italian Literature .at the Malta University, who is also, tlie editor of the Malta Daily Chronicle, was a delegate to the Imperial Press Conference held in Australia in 1925.