Rock of Gibraltar (1930s)

so guarding the entrance to the mediterranean sea stands the strongly fortified peninsula at the southern extremity of spain known the world over as the symbol of strength the rock of gibraltar storm center of the wars of the middle ages for more than a thousand years its possession was fought over by the moors spaniards french and english flash upon clash century upon century ultimately resulted in the final possession of this stronghold by the british in the year 1873 its age-old natural strength in these years was reinforced by forts built high upon its lofty prominence its advantages were early apparent to the many contenders who fought for its possession or surely so much strife and struggle would not have been expended over what was at that time merely a mass of rock rising 1400 feet above sea level and because of its perpendicular nature on its northern side only partly inhabitable [Music] at some time the irish two must have had a hand in the fighting a business at which they have never really been backward for this edifice is known as o'hara's tower and that surely is a good old irish name nationalities however have found representation here side by side for at the base of gibraltar we find this little spanish church nestled in the peaceful surroundings of the village this moorish tower is the last of a line built during the 700s by the moors an arabian invader named jabel tariq supported by an army of 12 000 took possession after a three-day battle not content with the fortresses then standing he ordered the construction of a castle upon its completion he entrenched himself in the massive structure that it was of a strength in keeping with that of gibraltar is evident from the fact that notwithstanding years of bombardment much of it still remains some hundred years later the bay of gibraltar in which the polling station of the british navy is now located gibraltar derives its name from that of the invader jabel tariq utilizing the first syllables of his name which translated means the rock of paddock lacking rivers and wells gibraltar is dependent upon the reins for its water supply concrete troughs direct these to the reservoirs where they are stored for use during the dry season the reservoirs are built on one side of the rock which because of these precautions is known the world over as the prudential side [Music] the town of gibraltar is on the west side of the peninsula and this is a typical boulevard leading to the business and residential section of the charming town which lies at the base of this mighty monument of the ages inevitably gibraltar streets are hilly for the area of flat lands at the foot of this mountain is very limited [Music] a thousand years seem to separate this particular street from the more advanced business section nearby for here we still find the wales of these merchants conveyed by the primitive burrows [Music] and yet this housewife seems quite content with the service since everything is brought to her door [Music] here we see the local butcher making his rounds with some unquestionably fresh poultry when he arrives at your door you are offered the pick of the market [Music] [Applause] the automobile even at this late date has not entirely come into its own as yet for horse-drawn carriages and wagons are still much in evidence here we're not sure whether this sunday driver caused all the excitement by getting into a one-way street or merely because that snappy model was a new one to the natives most of gibraltar streets are quite narrow and its tallest buildings four or five stories high but in spite of cramped living conditions a contented population of about 19 000 inhabits the town [Music] this is church lane one of gibraltar's oldest streets moorish architecture is found on all sides and these twin arches are representative of many such to be found here [Music] life in gibraltar has its dark moments too but most of them are spent in these tunnels leading from one part of town to another [Music] this is a bit more like home eh and proof of the excellent roads to be found here children are like the world over and here we see them just as school led up geography history and arithmetic apparently hold no greater attraction for these youngsters than they do for hours at home for they seem equally pleased when school is over here is a street vendor and in spite of our musical education to the contrary he is not a peanut vendor but it does seem that he carries about everything else under the sun and what a high-pressure salesman he is we were obliged to conceal ourselves in this doorway to secure this picture of these typical moors for their religion forbids the duplication of their images the southern part of the town is beautiful and very picturesque it boasts of many pleasant avenues and boulevards and some of the homes of the wealthy compare very favorably with those to be found on new york's park avenue and london's mayfair however one is never far removed from the commercial sections of the town since there are no definitely restricted areas [Music] this is known as gunners parade and was formerly the governor's garden it contains a very beautiful pedestal bus of queen victoria this military god house also at the base of gibraltar is the symbol of law and order the administration is that of a crown colony vested in the governor and criminal cases are tried according to the laws of england [Music] the owner of this flock has just passed the half mile of neutral territory between spain and gibraltar over which a century stands gone and he has come in the hope of finding a more ready market for his livestock ah and here comes our carriage no no as we take our leave of this andalusian stronghold gibraltar excesses its everlasting firmness upon us and we offer up a prayer that our own banks too may say be assured of the same stability as is symbolized by the impregnable rock of gibraltar [Music] you