KIPPENBERGER REMARKS CALLED UNFORTUNATE

Chronicle (Levin), 6 September 1948, Page 7

KIPPENBERGER REMARKS CALLED UNFORTUNATE

CAPETOWN, Sept. 3. Mr. H. ,T. Constable, honorary agent for New Zealand in South Africa, has cabled the New Zealand Rugby Union as follows:' "Consider Major-General Sir Howar'd Kippenberger's statements regarding Afrikanders unfortunate, injudicious, and entirely unwarranted in the light of conditions here, and likely to create ill-l'eeling on the tour. There are unfavourable repercussions of opininn, especially among New Zealanders in South Africa." The remarks made by General Ivippenberger at Christchurch on Wednesrlay concluded with the following words: "I had the Maoris under my command for two years, and in that time they had 1500 casualties, and i am not going to acquiesce in any damned Afrikanders saying they cannot go. To heli with them-" The cireumstances in whieh he made the remarks to which exception was taken in South Africa were explained to The Post by General Ivippenberger. "I was speaking, " he said, "to an informal gathering of returned servicemen and mv remarks were entirely unpremeditated." The General added that some people had apparently gained the wrong impression from his reference to the New Zealand Rugby Union. He had not criticised the Union 's action as he considered that that/body had dorie, nothing more than show a realistie appreciation of the position arising from the racial cfrscrimi nation im South Africa.'' model Constitution estab'lishing a so called " people 's demoeratic Republic" in Czochoslovakia. He frowned on the " people 's democracy" Constitution, with whicli he disagreed, and on the Communist Government's single-ticket elections. Since klay his health has rapidly declined, and his retirement removed Czechoslovakia's last strong link with the West. It was offieiallv announced at the time that the Presidential country home at Lany had been presented t'o him as a jfribute to his work and that his Presidential salary was to continue throughout his life.