JAPANESE SILENCE OVER

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 8, 5 October 1943, Page 5

JAPANESE SILENCE OVER

( PRISONERS LONDON, September 27. The Netherlands East Indies Red Cross representative in London stated that the N.E.I. Red Cross could not develop activities with regard to the needs of the Indies people because the usual means of relief, such a« the sending ot parcels or the forwarding of general supplies for prisoners and internees, were still closed in the Far East. So far. he said, representatives ot the International Red Cross had not been permitted to work in the southern regions occupied by Japan, so unbiased reports on the treatment of -war prisoners and the conditions in internment, camps were therefore not available. Though the Japanese occupation cf the Iridics had already exceeded one year, only a partly-completed list with names of war prisoners had been received —apparently/compiled alphabetically and not going further than the letter “G.” '1 he total names received only amouti'ed to about 4009, and not a single nrm- of the numerous interned civilians had so far been received. The only means of communication which had been opened since the beginning of this year, was the Prisoners of War Post, but there was no sign so far that anyone had had a single answer from a war prisoner, nor that any letter or postcard from the N.E.I. had come through.