The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-01-09

1 4
hAps no other by-product Of the world
war save the recovery Of Jerusalem
stirs tho Imagination 30 profoundly as
the British announcement OF home
rule FOR Malta.'' says bulletin Of the
National Geographic society. which
explains:
The Malta island group is shrine
OF mythology. and Of sacred and pro-
fane history, Calypso. vampire Of
Homer's word motion pictures. res
c9ed the shipwrecked Ulysses. and en-
on the Island. st. Paul swan ashore
there after his vessel ran aground
PubIius, the island governor, accord
ing to Acts xXvIII., received and
iod9ed him. and the apostle founded
parted.
The date OF christ.s birth is bu,
the halfway point in Maltese chron-
oIogy. Since itS recorded history be-
gan ten nations have held sway over
the coveted islands, beginning with the
|Phocnicians Of Pauls time. ana run
ming scale OF Greeks, Carthaginians
Romans, Cloths, Arabs, Germans,
SpaniArds and French. until the
present sovereignty OF the British.
1T has been said that Malta's local
chronicle holds, In microcosm, the
history Of Europe, and that its arche-
olcgtcal remains mark each step in
western civilization.
But Malta was an actor. as well
- . librarian Of historic drama. Lit
orally she became the savior OF the
Malta beat back the Turkish horties
during the famous siege OF 1865. The
afien knights. along with native NAL
teee. kept the b1ighting hand OF Mos
lem from crushing the lands which
fostered those infant ideals OF free
dom which now are reflected in Eng
lands concession
The thrills Of that siege and the
hefoism displayed are unsurpassed.
or the 5000 MalSsse who fought with
the knights. practically all were
killed. Characteristic of the knights'
valor was that of the defenders Of
perate. the few survivors OF months
of fighting went to A. small chapel
within the fort. embraced each other.
received the Eucharist ana 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 tho asnilants 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 lighting,
was the command he brought back.
Every man obeyed--and died. But
the CONSERVATION wrought by their
frenzisd resistance worked such havoc
among the assnilants that the news OF
1t spread to other divisions OF the
Turkish forces and turned the tide
toward Maltese victory!
TN command OF the Turkish sea
forces was Dragut, who rose from
cabin boy and galley slave to be ad-
mirai OF the Turkish. navy, and was
mortaIiy wounded before Malta
"Scenically. Malta has been well
named precious stone set in silver
sea- Alphabetically, It deserves the
appelation of New Testament times
Meiita. meaning the isle OF honey.
It domicfles some $50 900 people
though It does not entirely support
them. It's area Is only one-tenth tina,
OF Rhode Island, but It has twice the
den8tty in population Of that mos,
densaly populated state In the Union
Tn addition to tho main island tins
3"Ass8 WIVuP COuSsSt& OF CO8o, GoninO
with Cominotto. an isiet, and Filfa, q
rock. Imagine Malta island to b.
supsrimpcsed nthe District Of Co.
lum0aA. Then the nearest Italian
shotes would be no farther away tina
Richmond is from Washington; Sicily
would be little north of Baltimore
| the nearest point on the African shore
would be At New York city. and Ash,
Minor would be not far beyond Chi.
lcago This mental diagram shows why
Britain regards Malta Al the key, and
safety lock. OF her entire eastern EN-.
pire.
| Napoleon recognised this strategic
value by taking Malta on his way &c
Egypt. But even Bonaparte hesitated
at the virtually impregnable, and
used traitors instead OF force for the
capture.
The dark hood. or faidetta, which
Maltese women wear to this day. /,
ascrtbed in popular legend to their de.
sire to hide their faces because OF the
infamies OF invading soldiers. A char.
Actertstic feature OF the landscape /,
the terraced fields A geographical
curiosity Is the absence OF streams
!