Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-22
By MARoARITA DoBERT

NAL request in London TO end
his Islands colonial status and
integrats 1t with the United
Kingdom. This was o switch
from the usual colonial atti-
tude. which seeks looser ties
or none at all.
Posters appeared on Malta's
walls and billboards proclaim
ing "Integration Now or
Never" and there were open
threats to turn elsewhere If the
request were refused. In q
few instances the Union Jack
was hauled down and the Stars
and Stripes hoisted.
Britain, like q woman pur-
sued by an impetuous sutton.
felt flattered and worried by
this behavior Of her colony.
Situated So miles south Of
Sicily, $50 miles north Of the
African coast, the tiny island
Is the headquarters Of Brit
aims Mediterranean feet. Since
the loss Of Egypt and the trou-
bic In Cyprus, Malta Is more
important than ever In British
strategy. The Maltese appeal
could not 60 unheeded.
The London government set
up q Malta round table confer
ence Of n Parliament mem
bers. After they had heard
statements Of Maltese repre-
sentatives Of capital, labor,
commerce and church. Is de-
clared themselves In favor Of
adding yet another isle to the
British Isles. They recon-
mended that Malta get q con-
stitution on the model Of North
Ireland and send three repre-
sentatives to the British House
Of Commons.
The Parliament is due to
vote on the proposal this
month. II 1t is accepted. 1t
will be submitted to q refer
endum by the people of Malta.
There Is a good chance that 1t
will be accepted in both places.
MoItos Reason
Why is Malta desperately
clamoring for union with Brit
ain? Simply for economic
reasons.
The island is q barren rock
devoid Of natural resources.
The food each year produced
on its thin layer Of soil Is suf-
flcient to feed its 800. 900 in
habitants for only three weeks.
In dry years. water has to be
brought by tanker from Sicily
during August and September.
There is no industry to speak Of.
A quarter Of the working pop
ulation depends on the British
armed forces for employment.
Imports are ten times as great
as exports.
There is only one surplus
people. With $4,000 persons
to the square mile, Malta is
one of the most densely popu-
lated areas in the world. The
average family has four or 1--WE
children. Since the island
cannot feed them. they have to
emisrate. There are colonies
Of Maltese all over the world,
far out Of proportion to the
island population. Before the
McCarran Act. they could emf
crate to the United States on
the British quota. Now. only
100 Q year are accepted. when
3 to 10000 want to come.
Malta simply cannot exist
without outside help. Do
minion status, as advocated by
Mintoff's rival, former Prime
Minister Oliver OF the Nation
alist party. would be impos-
sible. 1t must become part Of
q greater rational unit. And
what would be more logical
than union with Britain?
Race Unto Themselves
Cyprus, 1000 miles to the
east, is in a similar economic
situation. But Cyprus has
strong racial and emotional
ties with Greece. The Maltese
are a race unto themselves.
An outpost Of great powers
since times immemorial, the
island belonged in turn to the
Phoenicians, the Greeks, the
Carthaginians, the Romans,
Arabs and Sicilians. In 1880 it
became the possession of the
famous military-religious order
Of the Knights of Malta. In
1914, after two years of French
rule. 1t became a British col
ony. Native Maltese still con-
slider themselves descendants
Of Phoenicians and speak a
modified version Of the ancient
Punic language which they
write in the Latin alphabet.
There is a strong admi2ture
OF Italian blood and Italians
have made some claims for
Malta. But the main opposi-
ton to union with Britain
comes from the church.
/ Maltese are proud of the
tradition that they we're con-
verted to Christianity as early
as AID. 50 by st. Paul. when he
was shipwrecked there on his
way to Rome as a prisoner.
Today 1914 per cent of the
population are Roman Cath
olics. One Of the striking
features Of the island is the
abundance Of churches in even
the smallest, poorest hamlet.
On Sundays everyone wears a
holy picture in his lapel. Public
buses carry tiny shrines of the
virgin and people cross them
selves on entering and leaving.
There is one priest to every
30 families. The church fears
that her control over family
life and education will be
w~,ln tAnaA hHt .trtana ,,,iktn .