PARCELS FOR WAR PRISONERS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 99, 21 January 1942, Page 5

PARCELS FOR WAR PRISONERS

Advice To Senders It was still not understood by some persons packing parcels for prisoners of war in Germany, Austria, or Italy, that every parcel had to be carefully censored before it left New Zealand, said Mr. M. Galloway, secretary of the lied Cross Society, yesterday. People need not worry much about sewing up parcels, as every one was opened up before dispatch. As long as parcels were packed strongly enough, and in the right material, to reach the ceneorship centres, little else mattered. It was unnecessary for anyone to inquire when they were to be allowed to send further parcels. The next-of-kin of all New Zealand prisoners of war were listed, and as the time approached for the dispatch of another parcel (one every quarter), they were notified by circular. With the circular was the label which must be attached to the parcel. On this occasion people had been notified that while the weight of the parcel could range up to 111 b., it was advisable to keep it down to 941 b. One reason for this is that the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the lied Cross was enclosing in each parcel where its weight did not preclude it half a pound of solid chocolate. This article of diet was much appreciated by those in prison camps.'' Reason for Censorship. Mr. Galloway said that censorship was necessary because some senders of parcels attempted to forward articles which were barred by the Geneva regulations. During the last war the forwarding of parcels to prisoners was stopped by the Germans for six months, as it was discovered that people were enclosing in parcels for prisoners articles that were specifically barred by the regulations. Such enclosures bad included maps, compasses, knives, tiles, and so on. The regulations laid down by Geneva must be strictly adhered to. Otherwise there might be some hitch in the delivery of the parcels in Europe. Not infrequently people, with the best of intentions, tried to send two or three parcels within the three months That also had to be guarded against. Those who had not had any acknowledgments of parcels sent last year need not worry. Several acknowledgments from the various camps had come to hand and others would follow. It was only .a matter of having patience.