CRITICISM OF CRICKETERS

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1931, Page 9

CRITICISM OF CRICKETERS

CHAPMAN CABLES A PROTEST

BRITISH TOURING TEAM ROUSED,

LADY ASTOR’S VIGOROUS REPLY.

‘"REGULAR DRINKERS” ATTACKED By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 16. Lady Astor, replying to a cable of protest from Chapman, captain of the M.C.C. team In South Africa, states: “I urge the signatories not to allow themselves to, be used for a newspaper stunt Everybody knows that if one takes two teams of young men of equal skill and one team drinks and the other is teetotal the teetotallers will keep form for more years and will play more consistthan the others. This is applicable to all athletes, also to politicians., and even to journalists and every walk of life, including cricketers. We know men whose brilliance has not survived regular drinking, even though they were never drunk,”

Chapman’s protest was the result of remarks passed by Lady Astor in the House of Commons during a debate on Mr. Scrymgeour’s private Bill prohibiting the manufacture, importation and sale of alcoholic liquors. For the purposes of example, Sir W. A. Wayland protested that Mr. Scrymgeour had no more right to deprive him of a glass of ale than he had to deprive Mr. Scrymgeour of a bun and a glass of milk. Lady Astor plumped for local option, which was “against vested interests, notably of the Lords, for which a more appropriate name would be ‘bcerage,’ instead of ‘peerage.’ ” Lady Astor assailed the liquor advertisements, singling out that of an athlete quaffing beer after an innings. “Why we are beaten at cricket has a simple answer; Because Australians do not drink.”

Lady Astor’s reference to liquor as contributing to England’s loss of the cricket Ashes was conveyed to ; Chapman by the Daily Express. Chapman cabled in reply: “We thank Lady Astor for the great interest she takes in Test cricket, but beg to state that she is guilty of terminological inexactitude. For her further information we suggest that she apply to Richardson, Kippax, Ponsford, Grimmett, Oldfield and Hornibrook.” The cable was signed by Chapman, White, Wyatt, Peebles, Hendren, Hammond, Leyland, Goddard, Duckworth and Tate.

In a postscript Wyatt added: “Some Australians are not teetotallers, while some of the English team were. Personally, I am a teetotaller.”