LETTERS FOR PRISONERS OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2868, 5 September 1916, Page 6

LETTERS FOR PRISONERS OF WAR

» INTERNED IN ENEMY COUNTRIES. For the information of persons desiring to write or send parcels to prisoners of war interned in enemy countries, the following instructions, which have been brought up to date, are published. It is necessary that tho instructions should be strictly observed, so as to ensure, as far as possible, that the articles will roach the -addressees: — It should be 'specially noted that postcards should be used in preference to lotters, as postcards are less likely to suffer delay. In fact, it i s known that in some prison camps prisoners are allowed to recoivo postcards only. If letters are sent, they should not exceed in length two sides of a sheet' of notepaper, and should contain nothing but the sheet of notepaper. Short communications aro, howover, likely to reach the addressees more promptly than long ones. Tho writing should not be crossed. All letters must hear the name and address of sender. Letters must not bo sealed. Only letters may be 'sent by letter-post. Anything else must bo sent by parcel post. Correspondence must bo strictly confined to family and private news and necessary business communications; and should not be sent too frequently. References to the naval, military, or political situation, or to the movements of troopships or hospital ships, or tho state of the crops or tho country generally, are absolutely forbidden. Such communications will not he forwarded. Newsnnper cuttings may not he enclosed iu letters or parcels to prisoners of war. Postal notes, Treasury notes, and bank notes should not be sent, and the transmission of coin in either letters or parcels is expressly prohibited.

Parcels: (a) No newspaper, or portion of a nowspnper, should be used in the packing. Parcels should be sent only in eases where the addressee is Tcndwn to be a prisoner of war. They should not be sent addressed to men who aro reported as missing onlv. Parcels cannot he accepted unless tho address includes the name of the place of destination. (M Packing: Parcels must he packed at tho office of postfix; under the supervision of a responsible postal officer. 'Hie following articles iTe sugtrested as Ukrlv *n be most useful In prisoners: —(a) Articles of food: BiscuiK, cake, cheese, chocolate, enffen and "iilk, cocoa and milk, dried fruit, golden s<tud, jams, meats,' prepared oats, sardines. $ugnr, (hi underclothing. (n\ packs of cards and games, (d) tobacco.