IN JAP. HANDS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 82, 7 April 1943, Page 4

IN JAP. HANDS

ALLIED PRISONERS Red Cross Report On Treatment In Camps Rec. 2;30 p.m. RUGBY, April 6. The War Secretary, Sir James Grigg, answering a House of Commons question, said that a delegate of the International Red Cross Committee in Tokyo had visited six camps near Osaka and seven near Fukuoka. Telegrams from Geneva specially mentioned the good morale in the-latter groups, but there was little further information. Two of the six camps near Osaka contained Dutch from Java. The other four contained Americans and British, the latter from Hongkong. The officer in charge of these camps was said 'to be correct and understanding -in his attitude to the prisoners. , There was a prisoner of war doctor in each camp and the sick were also visited by Japanese doctors. The men were employed in various types of work, for which they received working pay. The Japanese provided a certain amount of clothing, but more was needed. ; Food' rations were reported to be satisfactory in quality, but not very substantial and naturally of a Japanese type. Each man was allowed between 150 and 200 cigarettes per month. Some British prisoners had already received supplies, which had been sent through diplomatic exchange ships.A Red Cross delegate was taking action to obtain more clothing,- medical supplies, games and literature. Some'thousands of letters had been delivered to the prisoners in Japan and Japanese-occupied territory and further distribution was in project as sorting proceeded.