TRANSACTIONS OF THE NAVAL DOCKYARDS SOCIETY VOLUMES SEPTEMBER 2009 Transactions of the First and Tenth Annual Conferences held at T he National Maritime Museum, Greenwich in 1996 and 2006, and the Eleventh Annual Conference in Valletta, Malta 2007 r 'BEYOND THE CAPACITY OF A SMALL ISLAND':1 A REVIEW OF UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH BY WA GRIFFITH ON MALTESE DOCKYARDS* Simon Mercieca Abstract with the Admiralty and while in Malta The paper is concerned with a piece of showed interest in Maltese archaeological unpublished research on the history of studies. In fact, he published a paper on the Maltese dockyards by WA Griffith, subject at a time when he worked as Assistant completed in 1917, It is in three parts, Cashier of the Admiralty dockyards.4 More Firstly, the background to the commissioning plentiful is information on Rear Admiral I ofthe work by the Senior Naval Officer in George Alexander Ballard, From the cradle, Malta between 1916 and 1919 is described, he was destined for the navy. His life has been The problems facing the ultimately abortive the subject of a number of studies and articles, 1 project are then examined, and finally a some of which can also be downloaded from critical review of the research is offered, the internet.s What is of particular relevance is the fact Background to the Commissioning of that Griffith's commission came at a time of the Research real significance in the history of the Malta However much writers may hope their dockyards. During Ballard's tenure of office endeavours will find a publisher, usually for at the dockyard, unprecedented events financial or academic reasons not all their happened which had the effect of outpourings appear in print. This paper undermining his reputation with the concerns research by W A Griffith entitled A Admiralty Office. His war and torpedo BriefOutline ofthe Foundation and Detachments strategy against the German submarines of HM Establishments at Malta, which was during the early days of hostilities failed to never published, but a copy of which is held have the desired effect and seems to have been by the National Library at Valletta, dated behind his premature removal from office and 1917, It is clear that Griffith did not write his promotion to head of the Malta dockyards. history about the Maltese dockyards for Then, when hewas SNO, the first major strike academic reasons, but was commissioned by erupted in 1917 and another occurred after Admiral Ballard, the Senior Naval Officer the end ofthewarin 1919. This was followed (SNO) in Malta between 1916 and 1919, with a few days later by riots and disturbances in the intention that the work would be used as Valletta which resulted in the death of six a sort of propaganda by the British at a time people. There appear to have been a number when the morale at the dockyards was low. of different reasons which encouraged The choice of Griffith was not arbitrary, he Ballard to commission the study. simply appeared to be the best person capable Firstly, the available information suggests of undertaking this type of study. He was well that it was merely a propaganda exercise. As versed in the humanities, indeed, in one of SNO, Ballard wanted to use, the work as the confidential typed papers sent to the positive propaganda in favour of the British.6 Admiralty in London, he was described as According to Ballard, the reason for the 'Officier d'Academie Franfaise'.2 current antagonism against the British in Not much biographical information is Malta, in particular at the docks, was due to available about Griffith3 in Malta. His name the illiteracy of the masses. At the time, there does not figure in the local Maltese was an extensive debate in Malta about the biographies, He worked for a number of years need to educate the working classes and how *Paper presenred at the el&VerlUt annual conference 0/ the Naval Dockyards Society held jointly wich the International Congress of Maritime Museums at VaUett~ Malta, 8-11 October 2007, Theme: Malta - Dockyard, Strategic Pivot and Maritime Heritage 011tlook. ' . they could be better instructed. One particular writing on Griffith's work. Now he wanted to person who held this staunch idea and who do a favour to Griffith and the best way to was very infl uen tial in govern men t and publish it was to seek the help of the Imperial circles, was the Crown Advocate Dr. Admiralty. In fact, Griffi th does not only ask Mikielang Refalo.7 The succeeding Crown for the Admiralty to sponsor his publication, Advocate Arturo Mercieca continued to but also to pay him a form of honorarium for develop this idea and supported the need for it. It was only after Griffith had completed the Imperial Government to have a permanent his research that he entered into both informal system to combat negative criticism by giving and formal conversation with Ballard information to the people.8 regarding its publication, and it was at this Th us, pushing forward the idea of point that Ballard began to toy with the idea education and using the research as a form of of having it published at the expense of the educational material to shQw to the general British tax payer. Maltese public the importance of the There seems to have been another covert dockyards to Malta, was in line with what the reason for the publication of the study. Crown Advocate was proposing. One needs Ballard seems to have used the occasion of to remember that the British Colonial the correspondence with the Admiralty to Administration based its rule on the advice further his claim for promotion to become of the Crown Advocate. He was the linchpin Malta's next Governor after Governor between the Governor and the Maltese elite, Methuen. Further remarks on this score being the legal representative of the elected appear below. Maltese me'mbers to the Council of Government. Problems Facing Publication At the time, the dockyard au thori ties The British establishment in Malta lacked historical knowledge about attributed the unrest manifested in the shipbuilding and repairing in Malta. Despite dockyard workers' strikes to what they called the fact that the British had been in Malta mischievous propaganda put forward by the over 117 years by 1917, the Admiralty had pro-Italian faction. Furthermore,there were scarcely any information about the history of a number of parties at the time agitating the its new arsenal. Furthermore, the information people for self-determination or Maltese . about the arsenals of the Knights was home rule. The British were afraid that owing predominantly in Italian, a language which to this negative propaganda, the general was foreign to many British administrative public was likely 'to forget what benefits they officers. Most probably if such information have already derived, and are likely to derive existed, or if in the case of the Knights' period, in future, from British rule'.10 it was available in books written in English, In 1919, the political faction that was the Rear Admiral would not have felt the need considered'as the biggest threat to British rule to ask Griffith for a brief outline about the was that which expressed pro-Italian history of Malta's arsenals and dry docks. sentiments. The British authorities began This issue emerges very clearly from the more and more to sense a sort of mischievous correspondence that passed between Ballard Italian propaganda against them in Italy and and the Admiralty in London. that this propaganda was gaining ground in A second reason for the commissioning of Malta. The trouble in the dockyards was the work was Ballard's own particular interest attributed in part to the support that these in naval history; indeed after his retirement Italian politicians and local Italian trained he wrote a number of articles and books on lawyers were ga,ining amongst the dock maritime topics and political-military workers. Many of the workers were judged strategy.9 This is not explicit in the illiterate and therefore susceptible to swallow correspondence with the Admiralty, but can any anti-British propaganda as Bible truth. be read between the lines. Ballard had written The risk was even higher, as almost all these a short history of the Admiralty Dockyards. illiterate workers were very reli'gious and prone There is no doubt that Ballard based his to bel-ieye all that the priests told them. The 88 majority ofthe latter were behind this Italian shilling per copy. The cost was considered too faction or any party which supported the high with the result that sales were small, only Italian cause and the clerical interest. In 80 copies being sold, with the result that Malta, despite the fact that unified Italy was according to the British, 'only a small section Liberal and anti-clerical, the Italian language of the Maltese public was influenced'.13 continued to be associated by the c1ergywith Simple tried to help Ballard in the the Catholic faith. Its substitution for English distribution of this book by suggesting it 'to was seen as the language of a heathen religion be placed on the market at a lower price or and its diffusion increased the risk of else combined with Mr. Griffith's history and proselytisa tion and conversion to the the two together sold for Id or 2d provided Anglican faith. that the Admiralty will advance the necessary In confidential letters exchanged with the expenses' .14 Admiralty in London, beginning on 27 May Griffith did much of the groundwork for 1919, Ballard advanced the idea that the latter the publication of his work.