Further submission from Mr W L Chamberland,
Gibralta
Most grateful to you for conveying replies to
my two recent letters to the Chairman.
A further piece of historical information with
particular reference to the much publicised Article x of the Treaty
of Utrecht by the Spaniards.
This is the clause which among other things
prohibits Jews and Moors to either live or reside in Gibraltar,
used at times by Spain to chastise Britain for breaking it in
the 18th century and thereafter.
On 24 November 1977, the then Chief Minister
of Gibraltar, the late Sir Joshua Hassan, a member of the Jewish
faith accompanied by the leader of the Opposition, Mr Maurice
Xiberras met in Strasburg with Dr David Owen, Foreign Secretary
and his Spanish counterpart Sr Marcelino Oreja Aguire. If we want
to be pedantic then in the 20th century a Spanish Diplomat broke
article x of Utrecht, by shaking hands with the Chief Minister
in recognition of his representing the people of Gibraltar, a
person who by virtue of his faith was under the much maligned
treaty not even able to reside in Gibraltar.
If the FO Mandarins wish to dismiss this as
moving with the times then I suggest they put into practice and
tell the Spaniards to grow up and realise that the 18th century
is long gone and Britain has fought many a War since then.
NB As to the Frontier the living quarters in
the area are known as British Lines Road going back to the 1800
hundreds.
2 March 2008
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