ALL BLACKS FOR SOUTH AFRICA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 45, 23 February 1939, Page 8

ALL BLACKS FOR SOUTH AFRICA

INVITATION ACCEPTED N.Z. RUGBY UNION ANNUAL MEETING DATE [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, Feb. 22. The executive of the New Zealand Rugby Union, at a meeting to-day, accepted a formal invitation to send a team to South Africa in 1940. ' It was decided to suggest to the New Zealand Rugby Council that the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union be held in Wellington on May 3 and a meeting of the council be held on May 2. FOUR TESTS SUGGESTED ALL BLACKS IN AFRICA CAPETOWN, Feb. 21. South Africa is asking the New Zealand Rugby Union to agree to four Test matches against the All Blacks in South Africa in 1940. The invitation to New Zealand to send a team to South Africa next year has been received from tat: South African Rugby Football Board and will be referred to the council of the New Zealand Rugby Union. Mr. S. S. Dean, the chairman, stated yesterday that the itinerary would also be considered by the council. When the New Zealand team visited South Africa in 1928 the series of Tests was extended to provide for a fourth match, the result, of which enabled New Zealand to draw level with South Africa in Test wins. On each of the Springbok visits to New Zealand three Tests have been played in this country, but the tourists also played in Australia, a fact which had a bearing upon the number of Tests in 1937.—Press Association. RALLYING PLACE OF FREEDOM * PULPIT MAY BE LAST ■BATTLEGROUND” STIRRING ADDRESS TO NEW MINISTERS. ( Per Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 22. “The pulpit is one of the few places to-day where we have freedom of speech.” said the Rev. P. R. Paris, Wellington. past-president of the Methodist Church of New Zealand, in his address to newly-ordained ministers of the church at the annual conference. Mr. Paris said that the radio, press, and cinema were all censored. The pulpit, may be the last battleground on which will be fought out the coming struggle for liberty of speech, liberty of worship, liberty of life—the struggles between the Totalitarian man and the Totalitarian State, between Christ and Caesar,’’ continued Mr. Paris. He urged ministers to speak out on the great issues and evils of the day. “Do not be a smoke screen,” said the speaker. “In speaking the truth in Christ you must do it with simplicity, clarity, and urgency. You may thus become very unpopular in seeking to apply the teaching of Jesus to every department of life. You may offend some people and they may leave the church because you bring the standards and spirits of Jesus to bear upon the worlds of business and politics. You may be told that you are exceeding the terms of your commission. Do not. worry. The prophets | have always been stoned. You are ! not chosen and ordained to please people or to fill the churches or to raise money, but to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.”