PRISONERS OF WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 January 1942, Page 4

PRISONERS OF WAR

ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUPPLY OF CLOTHING ADVICE TO NEXT-OF-KIN. INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING PARCELS. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Reassurance to next-of-kin in regard to the forwarding of clothing to men taken prisoner is contained in this week’s statement by the Prisoners of War Inquiry Office. There is a permanent arrangement whereby a clothing parcel is sent, through the High Commissioner’s office in London* to every man as soon as it has been officially notified that he is a prisoner.

Considerable stocks are held there, and the moment a man is officially notified in Geneva as a prisoner, both the High Commissioner - and the New Zealand Government are notified. A second quarterly parcel is also sent from the High Commissioner’s Office, so that a parcel sent from New Zealand would probably be the third. The Inquiry Office has received, through the Government, information that the Japanese Government has declared itself ready to transmit to the International Red Cross Agency in Geneva information concerning any prisoners, and also to exchange similar information concerning interned noncombatants, as far as it possibly can. A Prisoner of War Bureau was established in Tokio on December 27.

Stress is again laid on the fact that tobacco is not permitted in parcels. What can or cannot go in parcels is decided by the detaining Power, and not by anyone in the British Empire. Experience over many months has proved that practically all the names that have come over radio sources have already been notified officially as prisoners of war, but next-of-kin knowing of cases not officially notified are requested to communicate with the Inquiry Office. Next of kin are requested to destroy all parcel instruction sheets except the last one—that dated January, 1942— which has been forwarded to them.