The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-05-12
This Word Stirs Deeply the Imagina-
tion Of People All over the
WorId-Equal to Recovery
of Jerusalem.
ISLANDS ARE A SHRINE
They Have Been the Sub ject Of Myth.
oIooy and Much Sacred and Pro-
fame disappointment
'Vamp" Lived There.

! Perhaps no other Dy-prOduct OF
the world war save the recovery OF
Jerusalem stirs the Imagination so
profoundly as the British announce
ment of home rule for Malta says
a bulletin of the National Geographic
| society, which explains:
1.-The Malta island group is shrine
of mythology and of sacred and pro-
fame history. Calypso. vampire of
Homer's word motion pictures, res
cued the shipwrecked Ulysses and
employed her charm to make him
stay on the island. ST. Paul swan
ashore there after his vessel ran
aground Publius, the island gov
ernor, according to Acts xvii, re-
ceived and lodged him and the apos-
| tie founded christian community
before he departed.
''The date of Christ's birth is but
the halfway point in Maltese chro-
nology Since it's recorded history
began ten nations have held sway
over the coveted islands, beginning
with the Phoenicians of St Pauls
time and running a scale OF Greeks,
Carthagenians, Romans, Goths, Arabs,
Germans, Spaniards and French, un-
til the present sovereignty of the
British.
'It has been said that Malta's local
chronicle holds, in microcosm, the
history of Europe, and that its arch
geological remains mark each step IN
western civilization.
"But Malta was an actor, as well
as librarian Of historic drama. Lit
orally she became the savior of the
western world when the knights Of
Malta beat back the Turkish hordes
during the famous siege of 1865. The
alien knights, along with native NAL
tese, kept the blighting hand Of Mos
lem from crushing the lands which
fostered these infant ideals OF free.
dom which now are reflected in Eng
lands concession.
1.-The thrills Of that siege and the
heroism displayed are unsurpassed.
OF the 5000 Maltese who fought with
the knights, practically all were
killed. Characteristic Of the knights
valor was that Of the defenders OF
Fort ST. Elmo. Wounded and desper-
ate, the few survivors of months Of
fighting went to a small chapel with
in the fort, embraced each other.
received the eucharist and prepared
to die. The little company was cut
off from all assistance, but fought on.
Many fell with sword in hand. Fear
ing they would be eXterminated be-
fore the assailants were beaten back,
a Maltese was sent to swim across
the harbor by night to inform the
grand master Of the danger. The
messenger delivered his message to
Garcia by diving and swimming
mostly under water. Hold the fort,
or die fighting was the command
he brought back. Every man obeyed
and died. But the CONSERVATION
wrought by their frenzied resistance
worked such havoc among the assail- !
ants that the news Of it spread to |
other divisions of the Turkish forces
and turned the tide toward NAL |
tese victory.
In command of the Turkish sea !
forces was Dragut, who rose from cab |
in boy and galley slave to be admiral !
of the Turkish navy, and was mortally !
wounded before Malta.
"Scenically, Malta has been well !
named precious stone set in a silver
sea- Alphabetically it deserves the |
appelation of new testament times.
Melitia, meaning the isle of honey
It domiciles some 100000 people,
though it does not entirely support !,
hem. It's area is only one-tenth of
hat of Rhode Island, but it has twice I
he density in population of that most
1ensely populated state in the union. :
In addition to the main island the
Malta group consists of Coco, Comino,
with Cominotto, an islet, and Filfla, II
| rock. Imagine Malta island to be
on the District of Co
umbia. Then the nearest Italian !;
shores would be no farther away than ]
Richmond is from Washington; Sicily
would be little north of Baltimore,
he nearest point on the African shore s
would be at New York City and Asia
Minor would be not far beyond Chi ,
ago. 4
This mental diagram shows why L