STRONG PROTEST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 June 1943, Page 4

STRONG PROTEST

MADE BY GREAT BRITAIN

CONDITION OF ITALIAN PRISON CAMP.

FEARS FOR MEN FORMERLY

AT BENGHAZI.

(British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, June 22.

The Protecting Power has been requested to inform the Italian Government that unless radical improvements are immediately made in the conditions of Campo PG 21, the British Government must insist on the closure of the camp. Stating this in the House of Commons the Financial Secretary to the War Office (Major Henderson) said a further visit was made by a re-

presentative of the Protecting Power on April 12. His report dis-

closed that representations made to

the Italian government had been without effect and that conditions were deteriorating.

As far as was known. Major Henderson said, British prisoners of "war were still detained there. He added that he had no further information about Campo PG 21, in Benghazi, the occupants of/-which were removed before the arrival of the Eighth Army.

Questioned as to what happened, since nothing had been heard from these prisoners since October, he said: “We have been trying to find out, but I am afraid the explanation may be in the fact that the ship on which a number of 'these prisoners were being transferred was sunk.”