Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1941. HUNGRY WAR PRISONERS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1941. HUNGRY WAR PRISONERS.

PROFOUND indignation will be awakened, in. this country and elsewhere in Hie Empire by Ihe news t hat British prisoners of war in Greece, including Australians and New Zealanders, are not. getting enough to eat. A message from London yesterday reported that; at a camp in Pelopennesus, British and Anzae prisoners had received during four days only a little rice and soup. While the British Government no doubt may be depended upon to take up this matter and others of its kind with all possible, energy, our own Government should interest itself actively in the question of lightening the hardships and relieving the necessities of those of our soldiers who are prisoners of war. Most of our own soldiers now in the hands of the enemy no doubt owe their fate Io the part they played in rearguard actions covering the retreat of their comrades and allies. There could bo no better or more justifiable call upon the large sums that have been and are being raised as patriotic funds than in doing what may bo done to contribute Io the comfort and welfare of prisoners of war, but if necessary special funds no doubt could be raised for this purpose. Il may be hoped that food shortages as bad as those complained of will be temporary, as a German, camp commandant in the Peloponnesus is said to have stated they will bo. . No doubt, however, there are other particulars in which war prisoners will be poorly provided and eared for if efforts are not made on their behalf by their own countries. Another message yesterday reported, for instance, that: — Information having been received that Germany had discontinued the free issue of cigarettes to British prisoners of war, the War Office in consequence has taken parallel action. This does not mean, however, that parcels of tobacco and cigarettes dispatched from Britain are not reaching prisoners in Germany. There is much evidence that parcels are getting through quite regularly. The parallel action taken in Britain, though it. is just, is a poor consolation for the deprivation suffered by British prisoners in enemy hands. The best part of the news is that regarding parcels from Britain reaching prisoners. Since the American Government is still in a position to exercise, through its diplomatic representatives, a good deal of supervision over the treatment of war prisoners in enemy countries the news no doubt is to be depended upon. Now that some New Zealanders are hi the hands of the enemy, the ipiestion of sending t hem pa reels regularly should receive immediate attention. There should be a general and imperative demand for action on these lines and lor the publication by the Government, a< reasonably frequent intervals, ol information as to the treatment of our soldiers ■who are prisoners of war and as to what might be done on their behalf. There should be no question of out of sight- and out of mind where members of our fighting forces who have been taken prisoner -a re concerned.