PRISON CAMP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 October 1943, Page 4

PRISON CAMP

CONDITIONS IN JAPAN REPORT RECEIVED. INFORMATION SENT TO INQUIRY OFFICE. (By Telegraph—Press • Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Prisoners of War Inquiry Office reports that a report has been received on the Japanese camp known as Tamaso, which is a branch of the Taiwan Camp. It is near Tamaso, about ten miles from the coast, and contains 117 of the highest ranking prisoners, with their servants and cooks. They comprise officers from the British, Dutch, Canadian, Philippines, Malaya, Java, Sumatra, Hong Kong and Guam forces. The. buildings are one-story military barracks. Four blankets, two sheets, a mattress cover, a pillow and a palliasse are supplied. There are washing places and baths. Flour and other cereals, meat, fish, fats, vegetables, sugar, salt and tea are supplied daily, and coffee, eggs, milk and caned vegetables occasionally. There is a Japanese army doctor and three prisoner doctors. The prisoners can walk freely and have indoor games, but no outdoor games are played. They have a scanty library and receive English editions of Japanese newspapers. The National Y.M.C.A. has applied for a hundred volumes of books. Gramophone music is played for two hours after dinner. Religious services are held on Sundays. The men’s financial situation is stated to be good, with deposits at present of 15,000 yen. Sir Mark Young and Sir Shenton Thomas receive regular monthly payments through the Swiss Legation. The High Commissioner’s Office has arranged for a pipe and a tobacco pouch to be included in every alternate parcel forwarded from New Zealand House to newly reported prisoners of war, and arrangements have been made to obtain from the censorship department a permit to enable them to send pipes to any New Zealand prisoners who specially request them.