When I first met him Mr. Cassar (1924-2014) was head of the Union Press (since 1962)
He told me he started his journalistic career at the Times of Malta. In 1960 he became parliamentary reporter and editor of l-Orizzont.
Our first conversation took place at his office at the headquarters of the General Workers’ Union, Workers’ Memorial building South Street, Valletta. Date: 15th May 1973.
‘History of the left: Manwel Dimech was influenced by the carbonari-risorgimento. Malta was a centre for Italian refugees. They published papers here for export. These papers were banned by the governments of Italy and Austria and here by the church. The British wanted freedom for the press, the church not as it was afraid this might propagate the protestant religion.
Lord Strickland was a liberal. He was in favour of the Maltese language. He wanted reforms and secularization and made a pact with the Labour Party. Bishop Gonzi of Gozo later disagreed with the MLP as he thought it was going Marxist. Archbishop Caruana was pro-British. The clergy was most stubborn.
Father Joseph Borg of Birkirkara wrote a thesis on the seminary reforms. Malta was the last country in the world to perform them: 50 years after the order from Rome arrived.
The church in Malta was medieval. There was strong authority and censorship. Malta looked like a convent, but it helped education, built orphan houses and had charitable institutions.
The church was rich. When old people were dying they left big legacies to the church.
Much has changed. The Italian television was an important reforming force.
The church has been obstructing progress, but it lives. In Italy the churches are museums, but here everybody goes to church. It is a tradition to go to church. Here the priests are well organized. Laymen organizations preach the Catholic Doctrine, the fratellanzi. Every parish has a Youth Hall, it is well organized. The church of Malta is a living thing, but its authority is diminishing.
Malta has a long tradition of parliamentary government. There have been elections, even in the last century for the Council of Government. Since 1921 there has been a form of parliament with a kind of government. There has been a tendency towards two parters. Unione Politica Maltese (Mgr. Panzavecchia) and Partito Democcratico Nazzjonalista (Dr. Enrico Mizzi) became the Nationalist Party under Dr. Mizzi. It was pro-Italian. Strickland was pro-British. He helped Malta not to become totally Italian. Since the War Italy is out of the question.
Strickland recognized that Malta had its own language and that the Maltese are a homogeneous people. We have no minorities (compare Cyprus) and even some British assimilated completely in Malta.
In 1943 the General Workers’ Union (GWU) was founded. It helped the NLP to win the 1947 elections (24 seats out of 40). The MLP took the place of the Constitutional Party, like Labour and the Liberals in the UK. The PN with its old tradition started growing again.
In 1949 Mintoff had a clash with Prime Minister Dr. Paul Boffa over the English assistance. He resigned his ministry and took over the party. Boffa accused him of Marxism and founded the Workers’ Party. Workers’ Party and Nationalist Party formed a coalition under Dr. Enrico Mizzi. When the latter died Dr. Borg Olivier took over in 1950.
In 1955 Mintoff became Prime Minister. He wanted integration with the UK or independence. The church wanted guarantees in the constitution, for instance against divorce. Officially it was not against integration. But England became a second class nation and closed down its defence all over the world. It announced the Dockyard (12.000 workers) to be closed. Mintoff: to hell with it. He wanted massive economic aid. England said no. Mintoff resigned. On 28th April the GWU called for a day’s political strike. There were riots. Mintoff wanted independence. There was a resolution in the House: We want to break with Britain, signed by Dom Mintoff and seconded by Georgio Borg Olivier. Borg Olivier did not want to form a government, because he was afraid of the situation and because he was also a patriot.
The Nationalist governments (1962-1971) had much corruption. Rhere was overemployment 19242014)
Joe Attard Kingswell founded the Union Press in 1944. Between 1962 and 1973 it grew from 30 to 170 men. Malta News is published since 1962 for the English employers of Maltese workers and for the international organisations. We lose money on it.
Dom Mintoff is influenced by Umberto Calosso, an Italian socialist (a school in Hamrun is called after him) and by the Fabian Society. For instance by Sir Stafford Cripps was Chancellor for the Exchequer in the Attlee government. He worked for the British ministry of planning during the war. ‘
We continued our conversation at his office in The Workers’ Memorial Building at 24rd May 1973. Mr. Charles Mizzi was also present for some time.
‘The Nationalists tried to profit from the quarrel between the church and the MLP. Their slogan was ‘for country and religion’. The church condemned socialism Thet were against independence, because Mintoff was in favour. The Nationalists were in favour too. So the church was in a difficult position. It tried to weaken the big parties by pushing Dr. Herbert Ganado into politics. He founded the DNP, and by supporting Tomy Pellegrini, who used to be secretary of the MLP, to found the CWP, though he is not a practising Catholic. Another party was founded, the Democratic Christian Party by George Ransley, but it got no seat.
All these parties, together with the Nationalists, were called the Umbrella parties because they operated under the umbrella of the church. They won in 1962.
Dr. Ganado was president of the Catholic action and editor of its newspaper Leħen is-Sewwa. He supported Franco in the civil war of Spain, because he was anti-communist. When Reuter (wrongly) announced that Franco entered Madrid he put instead of the name of the newspaper: We entered Madrid.
The Labour party paper Is-Sebh (now a weekly) was condemned by the church It-Torċa, the paper of the GWU, was not condemned. Is-Sebh was printed at the union Press and everybody who read, distributed, printed, sold or advertised in it was condemned. The Union Press went on printing it. Mintoff then wanted his own press for the Labour Party and the Freedom Press was founded.
The correspondence between the Malta Labour Government and the Vatican pus published by the Government Gazette.
The results of the Second Vatican Council were published first by us. We agreed with them. The Malta church lost its battle in the Council. We also published Pope John XXIII’s Encyclical Letter Mater et Magistra in It-Torċa. I translated it.
In 1969 in a convent Mintoff and the Archbishop (Gonzi; AK) signed a short agreement, they met each other first in 1964 during Independence Day.
1971: We made a new defence Agreement and sent Perendelli (a fascist; is this correct? I cannot trace this man AK) out.
The Governor-General (Sir Maurice Dorman; AK) was not bad, but we wanted to change the image of colonialism and appointed Sir Anthony Mamo, who had already been Acting Governor-General for a couple of times.
The Nationalists got an association with NATO. NATO did not want full membership, because of the opposition in Malta. Now we are not associated anymore. Dom Mintoff got rid of the American fleet. He does not want the Russians either. He wants non-alignment. We recognized China and have good relations with it. We have many economic ties with Libya. They helped us with money during the agreement crisis. Gadafi can learn from Mr. Mintoff, who is an experienced leader. We don’t have bad relations with Israel. We are associated with the Common Market. Now we want more help.
We want to amend the Constitution and allow people to vote at 18. You need a two-thirds majority. The PN did not help. Mr. Mintoff did not appoint a vice-president for the Constitutional Court. There was a murder case. Now he appointed one for three months, so it can work again. The Constitution was made by the English and the Nationalists and accepted in parliament by a simple majority.
I think Civil Marriage will soon be realized.
Mr. Joseph Ellul Marcer, Minister for Reconstruction during 1955-1958 and Deputy Leader of the MLP, was buried outside the churchyard. Now the walls are taken down.’
About the Maltese press: ‘Every paper is supported by a movement, and therefore less independent.
I suggest you’ll meet the following Nationalist for interesting information: Guido de Marco, Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, Mario Felice and Vincent Tabone.
They call me ‘The Jesuit’. Because I’m shrewd.’
We continued our conversation at his office in The Workers’ Memorial Building at 13th Jule, 1973
1962 elections ‘Cato (Sir Arturo Mercieca) wanted the Catholics to vote for the strongest of the Umbrella Parties: the PN.
Since 1962 there has been a moral crisis in the church. Before it was medieval in the convents and at the seminary. Many priests have left the priesthood and vocations went down. Priests that married were literally exiled’
Over the years I used to drop by his office regularly and we became quite attached to each other. Anton told me how, even when the quarrel between the MLP and the church was at his peak, he kept being on speaking terms with Archbishop Gonzi.
He appreciated my publications and thought them to be impartial.
In 1986 I visited him at St. Luke’s hospital. Later, after his retirement, we met several times in Valletta and at his home in Msida. I miss him when I am in Malta.
Anton’s funeral was preceded by a band march of the Trinity Band Club from his residence to the parish church of Msida. A most fitting tribute.
(Originally posted on Facebook, 8th August 2026)