WAR PRISONERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 304, 23 December 1943, Page 6

WAR PRISONERS

REPATRIATED MEN REPATRIATED MEN'S CASE <P.A.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. "Frojji articles which ha/e appeared in the newspapers and from letters received from repatriated prisoners of war, it is clear that very great misconceptions exist concerning the position of such men," said the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, in a statement issued to-day. There appeared to be considerable confusion concerning the position of repatriated protected personnel in particular, and it had been suggested that it was contrao' to the provisions of the international conventions for such personnel to be re-employed. This was far from being the fact. It was not generally realised, continued the Minister, that prisoners of war who reach their home country might belong to one of several classes, and their treatment varied accordingly. After referring to the international provisions relating to the various classes of repatriates, Mr. Jones said: "The position may be summarised as follows:— "1. Escaped prisoners of war or those released by our own forces, or repatriated protected personnel, may all be re-employed anywhere without incurring any punishment if they are recaptured. "2. Sick and wounded prisoners of war, repatriated as the result of a decision by a Mixed Medical Commission, will not be again employed overseas. "3. The only prisoners of war who have been repatriated from Germany and Italy to New Zealand are of the classes mentioned in 1 and 2."