CLOTHING AND BOOTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 88, 9 July 1943, Page 3

CLOTHING AND BOOTS

FOR PRISONERS OF WAR t . In a statement to-day the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. P. Fraser, reviewed the position in regard to supplies of clothing and boots for the prisoners of Avar.

"Under the Geneva Convention ivhich prescribes the treatment to . be given to prisoners of war, the enemy governments are obliged to supply all prisoners with sufficient clothing, underwear and i'ootyear and to maintain and replace these articles from time to time," said Mr Fraser. Experience demonstrated very early in the Avar, however,, that unless special efforts were, made by the various British Governments to supply clothing as avc.ll as foodstuffs and medicines to the prisoners their position Avould become desperate 1 Accordingly arrangements Avere made l)y the United Kingdom Government on behalf of all the British Governments concerned with the War Organisation of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John for the despatch of clothing to British jjrisoners of It AA'as decided that this Organisation would, for the following reasons to be the sole agency, except for what may be sent by a prisoner's next-of-kin in one parcel each quarter, for despatching supplies of clothing to the prisoners:— (a) To preA'ent overlapping and waste this Avould be incA'itable If clothing could be sent from a number of different sources to- prisoners. (b) To secure fair distribution amongst prisoners of such supplies as could be sent. (c) To relative transport of unnecessary supplies. This is of considerable importance owing to the limited shipping available. Sufficient clothing is despatched from the United Kingdom through the War Organisation of the lied Cross and St. John to proA'ide a reasonable quantity of clothing (including boots) for each prisoner of war. These clothing reseiwcs are accumulated in GeneA'a under the control of the International Red Cross Committee ami camp leaders were instructed in July of last year that they Avere to submit requisitions to Geneva for their requirements. We are assured that the International Red. Cross Committee would in any ease despatch clothing io any camp Avhere a real need Avas ) shown, even if no requisitions had been received. While transport betAvccn Geneva and the base prisoner of Avar camps lis stated to be satisfactory, it is un- 1 dcrstood that the position is more "

difficult from the. base camps to the Work Detachments.. Undoubtedly it is men in these Work Detachments who will require more frequent changes of clothing but owing to the present difficulties of communication, and there, is no evidence to say when thejr are likely to improve bej tween Geneva and these d.etach- . inollts and . the base camps, it is possible that tliey are. not receiving all the clothing they require. The; delegates of the Protecting Power and the International Red Cross Committee have been asked to give special consideration to the position of men in Work Detachments. The. latest review of the clothing • supplies in the prisoner of war camps in Germany and Italy covers the. position as at January last. Al- ; though the German authorities do not appear to providemuch, it' anything, on the whole 1 am authoritativei}' informed that the position may lie considered reasonably satisfactory. In some camps, particularly Stalag 11 ID, IVA, IVc and MarlagMiiag, it was reported that clothing supplies were unsatisfactory, while in certain working detachments boot supplies were insufficient. While advice received .since then indicates that the position is improving, special arrangements are being made whereby a pair of boots will be avail able for inclusion in the quarterly parcels addressed to men from whom a request has been received recently for a pair of boots. The. arrangements are in the hands of the Prisoners of War inquiry Office who are making a special announcement on the matter. In Italy the position is somewhat different from that in Germany. Officer prisoners of war detained there are supplied 'with ration cards to enable them to purchase clothing, while other rank- prisoners are provided, with underclothing, and in some, if not all camps with footwear and outer clothing. The general clothing position in Italy is reported to be reasonably satisfactory. "The Government are determined to do all in their power to ensure that the prisoners of war are adequately clothed,," said Mr Fraser in conclusion. "It Avill be seen,, however, that very much depends on the transport of the clothing from Geneva to the men in the camps and , communications between the Base Camps, and Working Detachments. But while it is impossible, for the Government to control the position from here, no opportunity is lost by the Imperial Prisoners of War Committee in London on which Mr Jordan the High Commissioner, represents the Dominion, to press the enemj' Governments to provide the facilities necessary to ensure that the clothing and boots are delivered to our men as thev need them.

"It should be made clear that the cost of clothing despatched from the United Kingdom to the prisoners is borne by the several British Governments, the liability of each being calculated on the basis of, the number of their prisoners of Avar. New Zealand, and I am sure the other Governments, owe a deep debt of gratitude l to the War Organisation of the British Red Cross and the Order of St. John as well as the International Red Cross Committee, for the assistance, they arc giving in seeing that the clothing reaches our prisoners of war."