PRISONERS OF WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 May 1943, Page 2

PRISONERS OF WAR

NO EVIDENCE OF TRANSFERS TO RUSSIA PARTICULARS REGARDING PARCELS. DELIVERIES IN RUSSIA & FAR EAST. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Recent reports, the Prisoners of War Enquiry Office states, created an impression that a number of British prisoners of war had been transferred to Russia. As an outcome of inquiries, the office has received cabled advice to the effect that there is no evidence of any such transfer to Russia and furthermore that it is considered very improbable that such reports have any foundation The International Red Cross advises in a recent cablegram that Dr. Paravicini, their representative in Japan, has distributed over 12.000 standard parcels and several medical parcels to prisoners of war camps in Formosa, Korea, Tokio, Osaka and Fukuoka, and also some 300 parcels for four civilian camps. Receipts for these parcels were obtained from each camp headquarters and the International Red Cross delegate was holding some 1,500 parcels in stock to meet urgent demands. Geneva also advises that receipt has come to hand from a Malayan camp for approximately 48,000 packages, delivered last September. The cablegram states that a further loan of 81,000 Swiss francs has been arranged in Singapore for additional purchases.. The British Red Cross war organisation states that over 5,500,000 food parcels were packed and despatched from England during 1942 for distribution to British prisoners of war in Germany and Italy. Canada’s weekly output is, 70,000 and in addition New Zealand' is packing and despatching approximately 8,000 food parcels every week. A further quantity of food in bulk is despatched by British communities in South America.