PRISONERS OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2959, 23 December 1916, Page 10

PRISONERS OF WAR

iN UNSATISFACTORY POSITION,

• Sir,—Having a son a prisoner of-war in Turkey,, who .has sunerecl much, in' Mesopotamia, I was extremely sorry to read in Monday's issue of This i)pminion that presumably the Turkish prisoners are not receiving any parcels orcomforts. It, however, shouid be bortic in mind that they are scattered;-some are in Constantinople, others' aro -.at

different places in Turkey in Asia', and. perhaps they are not treated'similarly. My' son is at Kastamouni; or Castimo■uni. He was previously at Angora. The a few months ago, stated that the''greatest heroes of tne war were Townshend and his gallant men who made such a bravo stand for four months. They surrendered,; April 3, emaciated, ;fecble, and worn: out. They were, compelled to cross tlio desert, some hundreds of miles, under a Burning- sun. Afterwards I received a card-with just a few words, asking for warm clothing, as it was very cold, and , needed badly. I notified the 'Mayoress of Wellington, and also the-' High Commissioner, who very kindly replied that, he was arranging for comforts to bo sent, while we forwarded everything we could think of,, including several letters by every mail, fortnightly. .Recently .we received a few words scrap of paper, mfirely sajv ing he. had received nothing for- nine monfris. Some twelve months ago .we were told : that prisoners in Turkey -were ; treated well; later The Domixiox makes the announcemejit that "letters containing more than four, lines must not be sent. Later, this was; altered to one page, and later still'l read in your paper this limit might be in T creased. I wonder who was the authority for these privileges. . In any/ 'case they, were misleading,. for in my . son's case he is not allowed either' to receive! or -write letters, 'save. .v-.caM, very rarely, probably smuggled.' v'T ml convinced that our High Commissioner has.done bis level best to'got,comforts through. What chance have w6 got/if ;.he has '.failed? -One would' think- six months .would .be sufficient for:- .the; American .Ambassador . at .Constantinople to say definitely how 'tbe prisoners of war are treated.' Perhaps ,-tlicro j is some remedy.—l-am, etc., ' J PARENT. . .

[A .representative of The Doiuwov was given access .by tjio Defence /Minister to the iilo dealing with prisoners of war in Turkey, of which the most important.! paper was a recent telegraphic communication from the liign (commissioner on the subject. That telegram was in reply to Mr. Allen's telegram from here, .that a complaint had readied New, Zealand that New Zealand prisoners of war: in Turkey were not receiving money and | gifts. It had previously been supposed that these wero going through in proper order, because all stops that seemed necessary, indeed all.steps that soemed. ppssiblo,; had been- taken." _ Sir Thomas Alaokenzie made, very full inquiries as far as such were jiossible in England, and the result was'not. satisfactory.. -It may .bo that ,-in future, on account of his-latest or his previous endeavours,, gifts and.pookct money at the approved rate.ai'e : no'\v going through to tho unfortunate men. : It is probable that liq will at least be able to ensure jthat gifts being sent now will reach their proper : destinations. -However, 'it must bo borne in mind that'cominuriication with prisoners Of war can never bd as regular or as certain as the people interested very naturally wish.. For the work, the British Government, and the New Zealand Government through it, must depend on the-good: offices of a jneuttal •Embassy in- /M - key, and the grace of the Turkish authorities. ■ AIL that can be said Svitli certainty is that.-at no time has tho New Zealand Defence Min-

ister ever ceased -to give his attention to tbe: matter, and Sir Thomas Mackenzie's messages to him by post and cable go to show, that' our London office is doing all it can for ! tlle.New Zealand prisoners in Turkey and in Germany. Regarding the restrictions; on letters and messages- to prisoners/'of war in Turkey, the announcements referred to are not in fact contradictory as they ' may seem. They were, made in terms of advice received by the New Zealand Governnient froiti ths British Government on successive dates, 011 which .the Porte agreed to relax restrictions.' It may still be true, as suggested, that the promises made .b.v the Porte in this- regard are not being carried out.] ■ ~ " •/•-i.'