A VOICE FROM ITALY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 13 April 1939, Page 6

A VOICE FROM ITALY

SIGNOR GAYDA, who is recognised as Mussolini’s mouthpiece, has referred to Gibraltar as Spanish territory, and to Malta as Italian soil. As a matter of fact Gibraltar has not been Spanish for 225 years, and Malta has never been Italian soil. Gibraltar’s history as a place of defence goes back to the eighth century, but it is sufficient to say that it fell into British hands in the year 1704, and h as remained continuously in the possession of the British ever since the year mentioned. It has been attacked more than once, but always unsuccessfully. From June, 1779, to September, 1 782. Gibraltar was besieged by the French, who heavily bombarded the fortress, but were completely unsuccessful in their attempts, which the garrison frustrated with the use of red-hot balls and incendiary shells, which destroved the otherwise invulnerable floating-batteries, and the besiegers’ hopes success. The history of Malta takes (he student into prehistoric times, but for the

purposes of this article it is enough to say that the island and fortress came into Britain’s possession during the Napoleonic wars, and was recognised as a British possession at the Congress of Vienna (1814), and it is to be noted that it was at the expressed wish of the Maltese that it became British. It should be added, in view of Signor Gayda’s reference to Malta as Italian soil, that Malta has never belonged to the kingdom of Italy, that before the kingdom of Italy was formed (a little after the middle of the last century) Malta had been a British dependency for nearly half-a-century, and the consequence is that Signor Gayda is completely out in his facts, or else has set out to falsify them. And then he seems to make a threat when he says, “Should some ill-considered decision be made to attempt to bar the road mapped out by Italy, she will calmly consider such an unjust reaction in its true significance and take the necessary steps to oppose it.” Earlier in the week Signor Gayda had made a similar truculent statement. After affirming that Italy had no intention of violating for any reason either the spirit or letter of the Anglo-Italian agreement, he added: “If Britain wishes to have a different opinion, she can take the consequences.” The Italian writer cannot have things both ways. If he has designs on Malta he can hardly expect the British to map out a road for Italy to traverse. The seizure of Albania has completely altered the character of Italy in the eyes of the civilised world, and Signor Gayda’s reference to Malta as “Italian soil,” when he knows quite well it has never been such, will create in British minds a doubt as to utterances which he may make in the future, whether he speaks as the mouthpiece of the Italian Dictator. or on his own responsibility. It is not to be expected that his attempt to create trouble in regard to Malta and Gibraltar will unduly affect the British Government, which will probably make no reply, but will leave the British press to deal with the matter.