H.A.R.T. ‘disapointed’ in Lady Porritt

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32639, 22 June 1971, Page 19

H.A.R.T. ‘disapointed’ in Lady Porritt

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, June 20.

A letter expressing disappointment that Lady Porritt, the wife of the GovernorGeneral (Sir Arthur Porritt) will be on the dais at the official opening ceremony of the international women’s hockey tournament in Auckland in August has been sent to Lady Porritt.

The letter has been sent by the chairman of the Halt All Racist Tours organisation (Mr T. Richards), who has released the textAn all-white South African

team will be playing in the tournament.

“Your presence on the dais at the official opening ceremony can only but give the impression that both you and your husband, the personal representatives in New Zealand of the Queen, tacitly support and condone racism in sport,” the letter says. “Certainly this is how your action will be taken by the heads of many Commonwealth nations.”

Later in the letter, Mr Richards says that the Queen refused to attend Twickenham to watch the all-white Springboks Rugby team play England, and that before the 1970 South African cricket tour of Britain was cancelled, Her Majesty made it clear that should the tour go ahead she would not be attending any of the matches. “I bring this to your attention, for I feel sure that had you known this previously, you would have refused, out of deference to the feelings of the Queen, to attend the opening ceremony of the hockey tournament,” Mr Richards says.