PRISONERS OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 13, 11 October 1943, Page 4

PRISONERS OF WAR

Latest Information Personal snapshots may be included in letters to prisoners of war m Japanese hands, the Japanese authorities reserving the right to confiscate them it they consider necessary. This information has been received by the Prisoners of War Inquiry Office, Wellington, from the International Red Cross, Geneva. The Inquiry Office specially asks next-of-kin who have .received letters from prisoners in Japanese hands to forward copies of them, giving full details of date and location. Copies of any recent letters from Stalag IX A/H are also asked 10 The possibility of sending parcels to prisoners of war in Japan via Russia has been considered m London. -I be Soviet Government, while not able to undertake tho forwarding ote parcels addressed to individuals, has undertaken in principle to transport reliet supplies for the Far East provided that prior agreement is reached with Die Japanese Government regarding their onward transport. It has not yet been possible to secure from Japan any final indication of their attitude to the practical problems of distribution. The Secretary of State for war points out that no efforts on the part of the British Government could succeed till the Japanese Government recognized their responsibilities for the delivery of such supplies. . . A prisoner ot war writing from Stalag XVIII A'states that a certain number ot prisoners work in a paper factory. They share the canteen with German civilians who sit ou one side of the room and the prisoners on the other. Both dish ui> from the same place. The prisoner says that the food is cleaner and better than provided in bis previous working party. Of approximately 400,000 parcels packed during the last two weeks in July by the Prisoners of Waj Department in London, some 300,000 were food parcels, 9000 tobacco, approximately, 40,000 medical, and the balance next- ofkin quarterly parcels. In the same month approximately 3000 books were dispatched to prison camps, 3000 to the reserve at Geneva, also 2700 parcels of music and games. Further lists of information concerning persons in Japanese-held territory have been circulated to all St. John and Red Cross centres throughout tho Dominion.

“U-boats with new iVeapons and devices will bring about naval warfare greater than anything so far witnessed, declared Admiral Doenitz, Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, in a speech du Berlin.