Springbok tour

Press, 27 May 1981, Page 22

Springbok tour

Sir,—Suppose I have a friend who bashes his wife. I forbid his children to play with mine in case my neighbours, (some of whom bash their own wives) think I am condoning my friend's behaviour. It would be' a heartless solution. I agree. Yet, the anti-tourists would have us believe such reasoning to be "morally” sound. We do not know how many of the Springbok rugby team approve or disapprove of the policies of the South African Government. We, ourselves do not know for sure what those policies are. To me, any country which so vigorously encourages as many sporting contacts as South Africa does has a lot less to hide than those countries which wish to isolate South Africa. If things are really as evil as the anti-tourists tell us, why don't they encourage teams to go to South Africa and find out for themselves? — Yours, etc,. G. M. EDMONDS. May 25, 1981.

Sir.—l reply to the letter by E. Mulcock.' In his "three overseas” trips he met and lived with several South Africans like ourselves. There are many of the extraction we have in New Zealand — English, Scots and the like. I lived with British relatives who had been there since 1921. There is also the other side of the coin — the Boer or Afrikaner of the orig-inal Dutch settlers who speak a strange language, and use it between themselves. Many and most of them are arrogant. These are some of the people we shall be playing football against if the tour takes place. I am not a member of HART but I oppose apartheid so I am against the tour on moral grounds, having seen so much of it in South Africa when working there. — Yours, etc..

K. T. CHILDS. May, 23, 1981.