Evening star., 1937-02-07

on the border Of the province Of Cadiz,
Spain. The colony is bounded on
the east by the Mediterranean Sea,
on the south by the Strait of Glib
raltar and on the west by the Bay
of Algeciras, forming a peninsula ex-
tending into the sea.
Relations between Gibraltar, Spain
and Morocco have always been inti-
mate. Gibraltar has always depended
largely upon Morocco and Spain for
her food supplies; Morocco largely
and Spain somewhat less for dairy and
farm products. fruits. etc. while a
very large part of the Immediately
adjacent Spanish populace has sub
sisted upon profits derived from the
smuggling of contraband from The
Rock" or "Gib." as Gibraltar is gen.
orally called.
BEFORE the coming of Primo Riv-
~ era, the saying was that one
could take "a house and lot" into
Spain through the customs at La
Linea, the Spanish port of entry on
that side of the neutral ground, which,
incidentally, separates the British and
Spanish sentry lines. provided one
had previously arranged with the
proper customs officials at La Linea.
In fact, it was generally understood
that any one receiving the appoint
usual four-year term would be in po-
sition to retire at its end.
On the other hand, if preliminary
arrangements were neglected, one ran
q very good chance of losing all by
confiscation if caught trying to "get
by without formal declaration; and
many articles were prohibited, even
though declared, and if found in ones
possession we're Immediately confis-
Gated, the owner not even being al
lowed to return with them to Glib
raltar.
Gibraltar being practically a free
port. the only duty very light one
on tobacco and spirits, while Spain
maintained extortionate duties on
practically everything, the successful
smuggler's rewards we're most alluring.
Gibraltar. a British crown colony
under a military governor, while prac-
tically free port commercially, had
most unbending and strictly enforced
restrictions applying to every one not
native born or there officially in one
capacity or another. With regard to a
British crown colony, it is of inter-
est to note that its inhabitants are
under the same status as are those
of the District of Columbia, in that
they have no vote and absolutely
nothing to say about the laws by
which they are governed, being allowed
only to take what they get from the
authorities assigned there by the
crown.
MOST outstanding, from an Ameri-
can -,oint Of view. was the car
dinal law that no foreigners could take
up permanent residence on the rock,
six months being the absolute limit
that a foreigner might remain, as a
guest in hotel or even as the guest
Of legal inhabitant. In fact, Brit
ish subject could only become a resi-
dent after first making written appli-
cation, which had to state his reasons
for wishing to reside in Glib. his ability
properly to care for himself and fam
lily, If he had family: what he in
tended to do II admitted, II he wished
to set himself up in business. the ma
ture Of his business, together with GER
titled evidence of his past in every es-
sential detail, all OF which had to be
passed upon and approved by the colo
nial government. And if favorably
passed upon and the applicant de-
sired to set himself up in business
before his application could be finally
approved, 1t had to be determined
whether there existed an actual need
for the enterprise the applicant pro-
posed to set up. II all these require
ments had been successfully met, then
the applicant might receive the desired
permit to settle in the colony.
There are many reasons why the
civilian population Is so strictly lin
tied. The outstanding one, the one
that Is invariably given as being amply
sufiicient in itself, is the fact that Glib
raltar is-flrst, last and All the time
q fortress. Therefore it Is obviously
essential that the number Of civilians
be kept as low as possible, that there
may be as few as possible to be fed in
time Of war. especially when 1t Is real
lied that there is no fresh water save
rain water and that 1t rains but six
months out Of the year.
A 8 FOR Gibraltar's military value,
since the World War its value as
q military fortress has steadily slump
ed, because Of submarines. airplanee
and radio. with the result that it has