Return of national relics

The Times’ leader entitled The Grand Master’s Sword And Goodwill (September 5) could not be better timed. It appeared 211 years to the day in 1800 when the French garrison led by General Vaubois left Valletta and ceded the islands to the British forces in the Mediterranean without any one Maltese citizen being present at the capitulation after the latter fought it out for two years.

Like all Maltese citizens I would be more than happy if Maltese historical icons were returned to the island, wherever they are, including the sword and poniard from France.

So well done to an editorial that does seem to give significance to Malta’s respect towards its past heroes. The leader acknowledges the fact that many French people have visited Malta and admired our heritage. How is it that The Times missed the conspicuous absence of one of France’s leading citizens ever officially to visit the island? I find it strange that the leader in question did not observe or comment on the fact that no Maltese government ever, not even since independence, has extended an official invitation to any French President for a state visit to Malta. Since independence the Queen of Britain, the Pope and Libya’s outgoing leader, Muammar Gaddafi, top the number of state visits which also includes a handsome number of EU countries and numerous heads of state from other nations, some of whom had very little to do with Malta. Surely such an overdue gesture would pave the way for any cultural goodwill including the return of national relics.

My article (Shame Or Treason To Memory, September 2) noted that while a current Facebook campaign encourages the return of the sword of de Valette from France it does not equally campaign for the return of numerous other Maltese national relics on show in UK museums. But perhaps I will be reading another leader on The Times soon on this equally important topic.