Missed Worlds
Sir: A recent rry 'News at Ten' interview (9 November) of the (white) 'Miss South Africa' and the (coloured) 'Miss Africa South' —although there is no such country —not only suggests that apartheid is now for export. but also shows clearly the disruptive precedent established -by offering special favours to segregationists.
The facts openly admitted by these two contestants from one country were that the coloured 'Miss Africa South' was chosen in a competition open to all races (thus surely entitling the winner to the 'Miss South Africa' title?); but that the white 'Miss South Africa' was chosen only from the 18 per cent white racial minority.
The white contestant would thus appear to be entirely superfluous,
and so her entry, if not actually against Mecca's own rules, bids fair to plunge this and future 'Miss World' contests into total chaos, through multiple entries.
For not only have other countries the right to protest most strongly now at special rules which allow South Africa two entrants (thus doubling that country's chances of winning) while each other country is restricted to one entrant, but the organisers, having established a new principle, cannot now refuse multiple entries from other countries.
A few examples come easily to mind. 'Miss English Canada' and 'Miss French Canada', for instance. 'Miss Malta' (Catholic), 'Miss Adam' (Protestant) and 'Miss George Cross' (Jewish). All from Malta, of course. Even a 'Miss rim' (Conservative) and a 'Miss LW (Labour). The possibilities for internal rivalries, jealousies and divisiveness are endless.
Will we never learn that a com- promise with South African racism is always a victory for that racism —and for the forces of segregation and disruption in other areas, too? And are we totally blind to the • effect that this rule-breaking for white supremacists will have on our own race relations in Britain? For now, militant elements amongst our coloured population have every right to demand that in the next contest, 'Miss United Kingdom' must be a coloured entrant—chosen from our coloured minority only.
L. Clarke Clients Mail Dept., Bank of NSW, Sackville Street, London wl
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