MALTA NAVAL BASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22449, 19 June 1936, Page 8

MALTA NAVAL BASE

As a naval base Malta is to-day a very different place from what it was when, in 1799, Nelson blockaded the island, ousted the French, and secured a very valuable harbour from which the British fleet could check the activities of the French dictator. The island was to have been restored to the Order of St. John, but because of the French menace it was added to the British Empire with the acclamation of the Maltese. Recent events have raised questions as to whether Malta can be retained as a naval base. Certainly the Mediterranean fleet moved from the Grand Harbour to the indifferent anchorages of Alexandria when the Italians moved against Abyssinia and had a force of extraordinary strength 011 the Libyan frontier of Egypt. Perhaps the full history of that episode has still to be told. Interest-/ of the moment centres in the definite statement, of Sir Samuel Iloare that the Admiralty has no intention of discontinuing the use of Malta as the principal naval base in the Mediterranean and the headquarters of the Mediterranean fleet, and, further, that every possible means will be taken to make its defence adequate for possible attack. There can be no doubt of the capacity of the fleet in the Grand Harbour to defend itself against submarines. Actually the activities of German submarines in the Mediterranean during the Great War were greatly restricted by the safety the base afforded to vessels operating against them. What gave rise to doubt about its security was the menace of Italian aircraft. Obviously the lesson has been learned. The air defences of Malta will certainly not be neglected in the future. Even if circumstances may lie foreseen when the safe route to the East will be via the Cape, the uncompromising utterance of the First Lord of the Admiralty in regard to Malta may have a 'sobering influence upon tlio martial spirit that is awake on the Continent.