GIFT CASES RANSACKED

Chronicle (Levin), 13 March 1946, Page 7

GIFT CASES RANSACKED

As an' expression of appreciation for gifts from New Zealand from the Polish Army League with headquarters in Palmerston North, and for the refug'e oft'erej Polish children now in cauip at Pahiatua, seventeen cases of gifts made bv sohliers of ihe Polish Third Carpatliian Infautry JJivision in ltaly wcre des patched to tlie L)ominion but in transii they liave been thoroughlv ransackecl with the result that of tlie seventeen cases only two liave tlieir contents com plele wluie one is missing. Potters whicli were sent from the Third Carpatliian Division giving de tails of tlie gifts sliow that the collcction, which was on exhibition in ltaly, was if rcniarkably iiue oxprossion from tlie niembers of tlie Polish Army witl. tlie Allies. Tlie two cases which wero not touched had been cxportly packed cocoanul tibre being used, and when they were oponed the articles insnb wero lirm in tlie packing and not daiiiaged. Labels Avithout gifts, parts of gifts without labels, plaques with nothing- on them, broken articles and crumpied llags auiounted to the suin total of the conterits of sonie of the boxes, re.veal1,11 g an irrespousible rilliiig coupled witli a displav of childish vandalism. What rmnained in a nuniber of cases was simply tossed into ihe cases willyiiilly, and this residue shit'ted further in transit. The cases were sent to New Zealand th rough the Wecoud N.Z.E.F., and in oue of them, which had been opened there was found a New Zealand Armv ihlucatioual Wclfaro Bervice booxlet on local governinent. Wliilo tlie ad vice from the Third ('arpathian Divi sion stated that seventeen cases were being sent, the coiisigninent noto froin the Second N.Z.E.P. gave Ihe delails n"sixteen cases and one sack." Tlie suck contained. b.ooks l'roni oue of tlie cases, beautiful books simply lumpod togelher and smaslied and daumged as the "result of being tossed aruund in what is plaiajy u Canadian wh"it sack.j Teulative arraugenieiits wcre in liand ] for an exhibition to be held oi ili- i whote, and it was hoped that the gil'l I to the more principal reeipiojits ( l her » j being one, for inslauce, for the. Prime I Minister, Mr. Fraser) wmild be handed ] over at a suitable gatlioring at the exhi j bilinn.