MAORI AND SPRINGBOK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 159, 23 July 1937, Page 6

MAORI AND SPRINGBOK

-Pres* Association.)

i 9 ^ m Arawas Pleased with Visitors

, Bv Telegraph-

ROTORUA, Last Night. Appreciation of the friendly sentiments of members of the Springbok ° team toward the Maori race when they expressed a desire to meet the Maoris both on and off the playing field was expressed by Mr. H. Tai Mitchell on behalf of the Arawa tribe to-day. When the" prospect of the Springbok tour was first announced the Arawa tribe prepared a memorial expressing the hope that a definite statement^ would he made clarif ying the attitude of the visitors toward the Maori people in view of the colour line prejudices entertained by South Africans. Mt. Mitchell said "that he could say witli confidence that the Springboks' expression of goodwill would be reeiprocated in every part of New Zealand where Maori coinmunities existed and that the traditional hospitality of the race would be extended to the visitors whenever they visited these communijties. His only regrefc was that the i statement had not been made earlier, for if this had been done the Maori people would hjive had time to preparc their football representatives to meet such doughty oppouents, in. proper fashion. The South Africans, he thought, would prefer to meet a properly representative Maori team rather than one brought together at short -atica.