MALTA.

Otaki Mail, 22 August 1930, Page 4

MALTA.

(By :H.R.11.)

Malta bas suddenly come to the lose on the political horizon. Difficulties between Church and State in this little island have reached a crisis which promises to represent an international test case of the first importance. Self-governing Malta having ‘‘come of age” politically is anxious to castoff the temporal leading strings of the Vatican. There is at present no revolt against the spiritual authority of the Etonian Church ais such. Spiritual authority' in spiritual things is fully accepted. But there has arisen a demand that in purely civil affairs the Government should be freed from the interference of the spiritual authorities. But why should the example of Malta bo’of such exceptional importance. The reason is as follows: —

Malta is an extreme case. Malta is a Papal stronghold. The cause of freedom won in Malta spells ultimate victory' for every other Catholic nation in the’ world. ‘Moreover a victory for freedom in Malta will deal a blow against the temporal power of the Vatican from which it will never recover. From the day's when Malta was ruled by the military-religious Order of the Knights of St. John, the church has owned one-third of the landed property in the Island. Onward through the turbulent middle ages, when Malta stood her ground as bulwark of Europe against the Ottoman menace, the influence of the church remained supreme. But in a century of British administration a complete transformation has taken place. Development of political consciousness has proceeded apace. Schools, hospitals and public institutions have passed from the church into ; the hands of the civil authorities, and the church is finding it impossible to insist -upon, .polftieal domination in a country judged by dominion standards to be its own master. Realisation of the actualities of autonomy has been a bitter experience for the church. The new developments have been too sudden for its liking. The vigour with which the Government has obtained the rights of civil authority' inherently due to it has made the necessary re-adjust-ments seem unusually abrupt. The sus picion has hardened that Lord Strickland in his efforts to abrogate the temporal power of the clergy' aims at destroying their spiritual authority. The charge is unfounded, for reallv Lord I Strickland’s proposals would safeguard the dignity of the clergy. As a ‘‘Daily Express” special correspondent neatly summarizes it:—‘‘Lord Strickland wishes to establish a strong independent civil power, and is generally supported by the working-classes, to whom material progress means, employment. The legal class oppose him for fear that, with an educated populace, it would lose its old prestige.” The

whole matter has reached an aeu‘o stage now, due to the Bishop of Malta 's proclamation declaring all who vote for Lord Strickland commit “a mortal sin,” and will be denied the .spiritual ministrations of the church; the attempted assassination of Lord Strickland in the Law Courts and Lord Strickland’s counter action in securing an ordinance by which the elections are suspended until the Vatican opposition and interference is withdrawn. But the clock of -progress cannot be put back. Re-actionary organisations full of mcdioeval ideas about keeping the masses in subjection and ignorance cannot prevail once the rising tides of freedom, enlightenment anil progress are let loose. By the promotion of education (especially the teaching of the English and Maltese languages) in place of Italian and Latin) Lord ►Strickland has been able to achieve more in his short term of office than any of his predecessors have accomplished in half a century. And the mass of the people love their Premier just as much as they love the British ,<joipnection,.4 iTJho iMalt/ese /are being sorely tried —for besides internal strife over affairs of Church and State, they have to face an assault on tlielr nationality, from external sources. Every Fascist officer has a map of the so-

called “Italian Irredenta” fitted into the back of his wrist-watch, and in the centre of the map is Malta. Teb. a Maltese authority continue for us: “No occasion is lost of impressing on the world that Malta is unredeemed Italian

soil, and that the Maltese are labouring to free themselves front a foreign yoke,” writes Walter Borg, in the Review of Reviews. “This campaign haa been going on for a long time and is daily increasing in intensity. In fact, at a recent silting of the “Dante Alighieri” at Milan, a resolution was passed by acclamation to make an appeal to the Noble English people not to permit the destruction of the Italiauity of the entirely Italian island of Malta. So persistent is this campaign that the outside world is beginning "to think that the Maltese people are dissatisfied with their association with the British Empire, and are anxious to throw in their lot with Italy. Nothing is more untrue and displeasing to the Maltese. On the contrary they are among the most faithful subjects, of Ilis Majesty the King. MORE ABOUT MALTA. (By a Maltese —Walter Borg).

In 1800, the Maltese entered the British Community of Nations of their Own Free Will, a fact which is recorded by a tablet placed in the principal square of the Island. “Magnae ct iuBritanniae Mbjlitensiuml ampr hies insulas eonfirmat.” Their love for the Empire has not diminished since then. During the late war the number of Maltese volunteers was so large that Malta remained one. of the few parts of the Empire where conscription was not enforced. They have never cfe•sired to become part of the Kingdom of-Italy, for they are descendants of the proud I’hoeuicion race, which intermixed with Hebrews, became the ancestor* of parts of British and Scotch race. They are akin to the British hy nature. The Italians can no more obsorb Malta and its people, than they can restore the Roman Empire. In spite of the fact that Maita was for many centuries under the domination of Some, in spite of the fact that Malta was a dependency of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies for many generation In spite of the fact that the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem ruled it for a considerable number of years, in spite of its proximity to Italy, in spite of the commercial relations existing between the two countries—, •lit spite of these facts,.; the , Maltese,. who are barely a quarter of a million ; souls, have remained a. Race Apart. Although Malta is only SO miles from : the Sicilian coast, the topographies! i configuration of the island shows it ■has never been a part of Sicily. It is j the opinion of authorities that Malta .1 formed the extreme point of a ridge ! which ran from the North African j Coast across the Mediterranean amt , divided that sea into two basins. The j -ridge sunk under the water, leaving ' only the farthest end, Malta. The j monolithic temples existing in the Is- ’ •land and recent archaeological di- ! covcries confirm this theory. Sieilv! can show nothing of the kind* History - shows Malta was the advance guard i of Carthage. Hannibal—tire great t Carthaginian general. the terror of] ancient Some—was born and brought ' up there. In the conflict between Car.hage ami Route, Malta played the same part as Heligoland in the late wa~. The Maltese in old clays differed then as now, in ail the racial characteristics of the Sicilians and South Italians. Those who visit Malta for the Sxst time, cannot but be struck by the Fair

Complexion and blue eyes of the child- j run. Especially in the country districts’ where there has been little mingling of blood. These are physical characteristics of the Israel and Saxon peoples! The Maltese are busy people, energetic, always on the go. Like their forefathers, the Phoenicians, they arc a seafaring race, and renowned for skill and courage at sea. Their folk-lore is non-Italian.. But the widest gulf is in their language. It is essentially different from Italian or. Sicilian. In construction and syntax it stands by itself. They speak a language of their own, of Aryan origin, like the people themselves. They inherited it from their ancestors, the Phoenicians, and have preserved it through the centuries almost intact, iu spite of it having been kept iu the background ‘by foreign rulers. The higher classes speak English but never Italian. The last gun in the- battery brought to play on Malta by the Italians tires-, ammunition | of a religious nature. Italians and Maltese both profess the Catholic faith, consequently it is argued, the Maltese arc a branch of the Italian family. Of all arguments the silliest. However, attached the Maltese may be to the Catholic Church, there is nothing they hate more than to be classified so Italian. They are just as proud of their race as the Italians. Their racial independence is a Sacred Heritage whie.i they jealously guard. Therefore thev resent Italy's bearing towards ihoi».| They claim the same right to work out ) their destiny as the Italians have to shape theirs. But the Italian press strives to depict the Island as seething with unrest because a real AngloMaltese Government is doing its best to check Italian interference in Maltese affairs. The .Maltese realise that their future is bound up in the future of the British Empire, and the language of the Empire is what they are interested in. The present activity of the Italian press is akin to that of a thief who. caught in the act, resorts to violence. But the danger signal has been given." Thus is concluded u stirring storv ol the Maltese question told by one of her own people. The Recorder commenting on the situation, says: “Whatever the inciting cause, the Vatican must be held solely responsible for the present trouble on account of its refusal to “seek in cooperation ivitli His Majesty's Government. some means by which the interests of Church and State in ’Malta cun be brought into lasting harmony"—to quote a British Xote. We hesitate in believe the Pope is designedly using his great influence and power to assist Italian Imperialistic policy, but it is certainly, a significant fact that one of the main items in the-programme of the political party opposed to Lord Strickland, and-supported by the Church Monarchy, is Iho extension of the Italian language and culture in the Island.