FAR EAST RELIEF

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 September 1942, Page 3

FAR EAST RELIEF

FOR PRISONERS OF WAR & INTERNEES DISPOSAL OF SHIPMENTS. INQUIRY OFFICE REPORT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Details of relief shipments for prisoners of war and civilian internees in the Far East have been received by the Prisoners of' War Inquiry Office through the Australian and New Zealand representative of the International Red Cross. For the future, Japanese camp supplies will be divided on a percentage basis, according to the number of prisoners and internees. Malaya heads the list with 37 per cent. The remainder are:—East Indies, 33 per cent; Philippines, 19 per cent; Hong Kong, 6 per cent; ‘Korea and Formosa, 3‘/a per cent; Shanghai, l>/a per cent. A cablegram says that on her first sailing, the steamer Osama unloaded 2,823 South African packages at Singapore and that 451 South African, in addition to 3.717 American Red Cross packages, were unloaded at Yokohama, pending reshipment. The International Red Cross delegate at Tokio advises that as the Osama's second sailing has been delayed, he is loading 150 tons for Shanghai and 300 tons for Manila from Yokohama stocks. Of the present stocks in Singapore he had requested the authorities reship 50 per cent to the Netherlands East Indies. An Indian relief shipment was being completely unloaded at Singapore, together with medical supplies. Shipping to Hong Kong was still impossible. The percentages quoted for future Japanese camps are the final distribution plan of all Red Cross relief. The Inquiry Office notifies that a further list of civilian internees in Singapore, Borneo, Sarawak and Java has been received and distributed throughout New Zealand for public inspection. The total number of prisoners of war listed at office is now 6,602, and there are 5 unofficial notifications.