Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1943. CLOTHING FOR WAR PRISONERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 January 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1943. CLOTHING FOR WAR PRISONERS

ALTHOUGH it is otherwise of little interest to a great, many people in the Dominion, the Christchurch East by-election is serving one good purpose in bringing to light a certain amount of information on. a number of questions on which information is greatly needed. For example, at one by-election meeting in Christchurch the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) answered some questions on the subject of the supply of clothing to members of the New Zealand forces who are prisoners of war in enemy hands. When he had told a questioner that these prisoners were still regarded as members of the forces, Mr Jones was asked why they were not supplied with the normal issue of underclothing and boots. The questioner said the Army stores sold the underwear to'the Red Cross, which sold it to the next-of-kin. The Minister replied, as he is reported,

that the responsibility for seeing that prisoners received clothing had been delegated to the Red Cross Society. Some next-of-kin wished to supplement this by sending articles which they might not be able to buy in the ordinary way. For that reason they were given the privilege of buying high quality Army articles. It must be remembered that New Zealand could not dictate what articles could be sent to prisoners of Germany or Italy, any more than the Japanese could dictate what could be sent to prisoners in New Zealand.

It will be observed that this reply does not make the position by any means fully dear, but now that the question has been opened up it may be hoped that the Minister of Defence will take an early opportunity of dealing with it in all necessary detail. This, evidently, is no more than his plain duty, since tyvery possible consideration is due to members of the New Zealand forces, many of them long-service veterans in this war, who are now prisoners through no fault of their own.

In fairness it must be said that evidently there are considerable difficulties in finding out what is really happening to prisoners of war, and that a great deal of good work certainly is being done on their behalf through Government agencies and by the Red Cross, notably in the transmission to prisoners of food parcels, supplies of tobacco and in other ways. There is some obscurity, however, as to what is being done in providingour war prisoners with clothing and the Government at least should be able to say what it is attempting to do in this particular matter. It should state in plain terms what it is endeavouring to supply to our men in enemy hands in the way of clothing and footgear. It will no doubt be agreed that the Government should make every effort to supply essentials in these categories, whether next-of-kin are able to pay for the articles or not.

Next-of-kin in many instances are only too anxious to supplement whatever the Government is supplying to war prisoners, through the Red Cross or otherwise. Specific particulars of the official issue are needed, however, in order that liext-of-kin may know what they may most advantageously send to their prisoner relatives.’ Another point is that articles it would apparently be desirable to send to prisoners—for instance shorts and other garments in service colours —are at present unprocurable either from Army, stocks or from private traders. Some items of personal equipment are released at times from Army stocks at very moderate prices ,but the supply of these goods is fitful and uncertain and the dispatch of parcels sometimes is hindered or delayed on that’ account.