RED CROSS WORK

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 177, 29 July 1942, Page 3

RED CROSS WORK

SOLDIERS' PARCELS

MIDDLE EAST ACTIVITY

Arrangements recently made by the Red Cross Commissioner in the Middle East, Major Tweedy, mean that Red Cross activities are now available for any unit, irrespective of whether it is in Egypt, Syria or Palestine. "All our men." states a report from the society, "will know that their welfare when sick, wounded or convalescent is being taken care of."

The report states that the commissioner recently made a tour of Palestine and Syria, and covered 2000 miles in 10 days. He reports having made visits to New Zealanders in a number of hospitals and having taken steps to see that all New Zealand troops in hospitals anywhere in the Middle East receive gift parcels.

"The commissioner also advises that he was able to interview a number of our repatriated prisoners of war on their release from Italy, in every instance the value of the Red Cross parcels was acclaimed, and every one stated that had those parcels not been available the prisoners of war would have often been in a very bad way. Apparently Italy is suffering from an acute shortage of food, and prisoners of war in that country will have to rely more and more on the parcels which are being sent regularly by the War Purposes Committee of the Joint Council. Arrangement With Canada "Perhaps some of the next-of-kin in New Zealand will hear that the parcels were from the Canadian Red Cross, but actually the parcels are part of an arrangement between the Joint Council in New Zealand and the Canadian Red Cross, whereby, until our parcels could reach the prisoner of war camps we, in New Zealand paid the Canadian Red Cross sufficient money to cover the cost of the food parcels. The enclosing of cards in these parcels had been discon-| tinued because of the difficulty in sorting.

Major Tweedy mentions in the course of his report that certain people and organisations in New Zealand have been sending parcels direct to the Matron-in-Chief, Middle East, for distribution to hospitals. As such parcels contain foodstuffs and other items which are normaliv Red Cross issue, it is desirable that all such packages pass through the War Purposes Committee of the Joint Council, and then in turn to the Red Cross Commissioner for him to distribute to all hospitals. "This method would obviate anv feast or famine' and allow—for what both the matron-in-chief and others in charge say—better and more equitable distribution. The onlv difference is that instead of the matron (Miss Nutsev) receiving the parcels direct, they "go through the Ked Cross Commissioner and are distributed with all other such sick and wounded food and gifts."