AUSTRALIANS IN THE EAST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 28 August 1942, Page 2

AUSTRALIANS IN THE EAST

REPORT ON PRISONERS OF WAR EMACIATED AND WEAK (Rec. 2.5 p.m.) New York, Aug. 27. The Associated Press correspondent, Mr Reiman Morin, also returned on the Gripsholm Vom the East. Interviewed by the Associated Press he said that there were about 2000 Australian prisoners of war at Saigon. While their conditions were frankly not good, they were better off than any others in the Orient. When the Australians came ashore from Malaya and Singapore, the natives wept at the sight, the Australians were so emaciated and weak from under nourishment. They had been placed in an open field dock area. The Australians were doing dock work when Mr Morin saw them. They were still wearing their army shorts' and hats and appeared cheerful. They looked like troops working in camp. Mr Morin said an interesting circumstance was that native Ammonites took a leading part in organising relief for the Australians, but the French people enthusiastically co-operated, contributing fruit, medical supplies, money, pipes, razors and other muchneeded items. —P.A. REPATRIATED CANADIANS (Rec. 2.0 p.m.) Ottawa, Aug. 27. Not being allowed to sing “God Save the King” was one of the things that most annoyed Jean Duclos. aged 15. and her sister Susan, aged 12, among a party of repatriated Canadians just returned from the Orient. They are the daughter of M. Duclos. Canadian Trade Commissioner at Shanghai. “They would give us heck if they caught us singing ‘God Save the King,’ ” Susan complained. “Nobody bothered us in Shanghai. We went to school with 150 other kids but heard that other people outside the settlement were being treated badly.”