IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19991, 7 January 1927, Page 11

IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

IMPRESSIONS OF GIBBAI*- ; TAR. , • yMR ROBERT BELL’S TOUR. : (Fbom Oxtb Own Cobrespondknt-) - - 1 - LONDON, November 30. Mr Robert Bell (Cltristcburch) .left Eng- e! . land in search of sunshine, and he seemtf - to have found it at Algeciras. In a letter just received he writes;— “From my balcony window, I look down , upon the garden. In it is a mass of subtropical vegetation, "’hero are date palms, pines, orange trees bearing their golden . harvest, and flowers i:i full bloom, even in-, this the winter season. By the window a great bougainville has climbed, and attracts . ' many hued buterflies. Beyond, over the stone parapet, tho waters of the Bay of , Gibraltar ebb and flow. , , “Five miles away the white tipped waves ... of the bay are guar led by the Rock of ... Gibraltar, which pushes its huge bulk into ’ the blue waters of the Mediterranean. ‘The Rock,’ that great stategic stronghold of Britain, stands, an emblem of the solidity, perseverance, and greatness of the British people. Over 200 years ago Britain wrested this supreme! maritime point of vantage from Spain. Then, if Britain was to gain and hold the command of the seas, ’ this action was necessary. To-day. of what value is it? To that question I have failed to receive an adequate answer. ‘Prestige,’ some say. ‘A naval and military base,’ say others. However, there it is, and to the British mind it is in thinkable that the error of Heligoland should be repeated here. ; _ x “To the stranger entering its gates, the town of Gibraltar in appearance is more Spanish than British. That is not so, for the people, both those of Spanish and British descent, are pro-id of the fact that. they are Gibraltians. The town has every , appearance of being v eil administered. The streets, although narrow, and winding, are clean and well-paved. The amenities, too, have not been overlooked, for on the shores of the bay. embankments have been , built, seats placed ar.d trees planted. A/; good water supply has been provided, sanitation of the most approved kind installedand other modern appliances of present-day civilisation, thus making Gibraltar a town, very livable to reside in. _ “In sharp contrast i;o this state of affairs ', the visitor need only cross the neutral' ground lying betweei Gibraltar and the: nearest Spanish iowr. La Linea. to_ observe the difference. In La Linea it is ■ at once apparent that there is not the same . civic pride. The streets are dirty and the whole town has an air of unkemptness. There is a look of poverty about the place although living is cheap because the people • , for the most part, shop in Gibraltar, where , goods of all kinds are obtainable at low costs. The Customs oHcials, however, exercise great vigilance and it is one of the , spectacles of the place to witness long queues of people, mostly women, waiting their turn at the gates to have their purchases examined.” Mr Bell is now exploring Andalucia.