R.S.A. HEAD INDIGNANT

Chronicle (Levin), 2 September 1948, Page 5

R.S.A. HEAD INDIGNANT

c Press Ass -iation)

Exclusion Of Maoris From All Black Team.

(Pe\

CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 2. It was difficult to gauge the opinion of members, but the New Zealand Returned Services5' Association seemed tq be the only bocly .standing for t'he rights oi equality of the Maori, said the. .Dgmin'iph ! president, General Sir Howard Kippenberger,. last evening, referring. to the New Zealand . Rugby Unioh's decision not to in'clude Maoris in the All Black te'am Which will tour South Africa next year. • . After mentioning the Maoris' record in the recent war, General Kippenberger said that no New Zealand bdttalion was able to say that the Maori Battalion had iet it down. ,"We .cheerfully boast that there is no natiVe problem in New -Zealand and no colour bar," _he s4id, "but w e are quite wrong. You do not seb it down here, but you slioUld go up north." The Maoris had fought for and earned their citizenship, he continued. The South Africans had not said they would not allow Maoris to play in their country, but the Rugb'y Union had made its 'dbcision. South Africa's' position in the Empire at present was un'certain, and it had been suggested that even a protest by the Returned Services' Association would be harxh-ful to imperial relations, said General Kippenberger. While it was difficult to speak for the association, he Ihtended to make a personal protest to the Rugby Union, "thoUgh probably no notice' will be taken of it." "I had the Maoris under my command for two years. In that time they had. 1500 casu'alties and I am not going to acquiesce in any damned Africanders saying they cannot go," he concluded. [Gomment by the Maori representatiVe on the New Zealand Rugby Union's executive . Council, Mr. Tirikatene, in regard to this subject appears on page 9.3