BETTER TREATMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1942, Page 4

BETTER TREATMENT

, OF NEW ZEALAND WAR PRISONERS RECEIVED BY INQUIRY OFFICE. TESTIMONY IN LETTERS. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Extracts from a large number of letters from New Zealand prisoners of war are reaching the Prisoners of War Inquiry Office in Wellington and confirm that conditions in camps are constantly improving. Another source of anxiety to next of kin —the non-re-ceipt of letters by prisoners—also appears to bo removed. From Stalag 306, XVIII D., comes a report, dated March, that all the prisoners had received new English battle dress and boots.

A letter in the same month from P.G-., Italy, says: “We are now in Southern Italy and the sun is grand. Living conditions have improved immensely. We have sheets on our beds.’’. A prisoner in Camp 57, Italy, reports: “Each man has a nice bed, with sheets, and a very good Red Crqss parcel is being received every week.” A letter from Stalag XVIII A., dated February 5, says: “We are receiving Red Cross parcels 'weekly and fifty cigarettes. The Red Cross has issued us with a complete set of clothes, boots and underclothes, and as a matter of fact we are ten times better oil than any civilian or guard here.” A man acknowledging receipt of a personal parcel at Stalag XVIII D., says new battle dress and greatcoats, as well as other clother, have been received.

Sergeant Pilot A. R. Fox, who was on the Rangitane and is now at Stalag VIII. B, wrote in February that he had received a second personal clothes parcel. He said he had plenty of warm clothing, but could do with summer underwear.

The British Red Cross war organisation has sent, through the Red Cross, Geneva. 600 foolscap books under the Education Books Scheme, for the use of prisoners of war. Permission is not available for sending plain paper of any kind to prisoners from private individuals, and these books will fill a long-felt want, particularly as many prisoners have expressed a desire to keep diaries and use paper for studies. The total number of prisoners of war on the files in Wellington is now, 6,158, and fifteen unofficial.