OUR SOLDIERS AT HOME

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3091, 23 May 1917, Page 5

OUR SOLDIERS AT HOME

SUGGESTIONS ABOUT PARCELS. The Acting-Prime Minister has received the following report from the High Commissioner, dated February 13, on the work of his Department in reference to matters connected with the European, war and other works-of aid and assistance. • ' Sir Thomas Mackenzie says:— "The caro and welfare of the New Zealand prisoners of war under my charge continues to engage my attention to a considerable extent, esnscially in view of the breach of diplomatic relations which has taken place between the United States and Germany as » result of the latter country's "ruthlessness" in submarine warfare. In the meantime the interests of British prisoners in Germany, which Mr. Gerard and his Embassy's staff watched with such solicitude, have been transferred to the caro of the Dutch Government.

"The Central Prisoners of War Committee, while not, of course, being able to give more than an expression of opinion upon the present position, is not modifying the scope of its operations in' any way, and is continuing to 6end sup-: plies forward as usual, and our New Zealand Prisoners of War Department is acting similarly. It is hoped that no serious interference with the activities of the varons Prisoners' Associations will occur. "With regard to the forwarding of parcels to New' Zealand prisoners oir war if we are able to get parcels through, the question of making nearly all purchases on this side is worthy of consideration of relatives and friends in New Zealand for then the packing will be of the best, and food-stuffs will be fresh at any rate. ■For this purpose money should be remitted to this country- On the other hand the increased stringency of. the blockade might cause parcels for prisoners packed here to be withheld by us in favour of those coming from Now Zealand; and if the contents of such parcels sent direct to the prisoners from the Dominion were not so satisfactory in alt respects the results might be unfortunate both for the senders and tho re- ' to say that many parcels •have reached me in a very battered condition, and that sometimes the packing has been done without, sufficient forethought. Unsoldered tins containing cakes, sweets, etc., have heen broken:, and the contents become mouldy Parcels badly packed have come to hand with, cake chocolate, scented soap, pills, etc., all mixed up. and the goods have thus en n "ender«l nneatable, and have had to be destroyed. I observe, too, that most of the parcels contain articleSjthe mnioritv of which have been exported from this country in the first wsW and could be purchased much more eheanlv here. In the meantime we think i : would perhaps be better to carry out tl V purchases.he mad* an 4^Vdt^iVe W o learn that acknowledgments of the Chrstmas parcels sent by our Prisoners o War Department are now comiW to v,,wU-tpn having been received to date, and tlie coXts%eem to have givenvery »eneral satisfaction.