M.Z. PRISONERS OF WAR

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 44, 20 February 1918, Page 9

M.Z. PRISONERS OF WAR

PART OF THE HIGH COMMIS-

SIONERS WORK.

A short and interesting sketch of thn work in connection with New Zealand men who are prisoners of war in Ger-, many and other enemy countries is givenl in a brochure issued by Sir Thomas ""Mac-, keime. The book is illustrated by photographs of some of the interned at Uuhlobeu, andl other pictures which add considerably to the. interest of"~ihe littlfi book. The Prisoners vl War Departnioiiii is under the entire control of tho High C'ommisisioucr, and is file only association puthorised to despatch parcels to New' Zealand prisoners of war, and communiratioiw of all kinds should be addressed to his office. A list is given of foodstuffs and other"articles which",it ia per-mittt-ed to send to Germany, and alfo.a list of prohibited goods, some of which are very curious, such, as canvas and skeins of silk find wool, sugar, and other articles in cotton bags, and an "excess" of soap, the limit being eight ounces in four weeks As soon as the High Commissioner .receives-.notice of capture of a man a food parcel ifi despatched from London. The Copenhagen depot is telegraphed to and asked to send parcels of food and clothing pending the arrival of the British parcels, and the Bureau an Secours, at Berr.e, is asked to add tiit: name to the New Zealand list for a regular supply of bread An ordor is given, for a' shaving and toilet'outfit ami for a fortnightly tobacco parcel. A let,-' ter is at once despatched to tho prisoner informing him that everything possible will be done for him, and asking him for the size of his hat, boots, etc. A letter is also sent to the nexli-of-Uin informing them of the action taken and giving fcho correct address for correspondence.

-Parcels may be sent from New ZeaInnd, but, must \>? acV'-sssed to the High Commissioner's ofiuv., passed by the Postal, Censor bore, mid linvp ;i list .of contents attached. The despatch _ of pai-c'els "to Turkey is mentioned as' being very precarir oiis, and yet m^ny letters hiiv'e been re.eeived showing that a proportion get %*«f?h and are' thankfully received, though they take from' four to ten months to reach the,iv destination. This is caused greatly by the Austrian autho: rities, Vlio" bundle them all' back" if they can possibly do sb, Money is not"much use to prisoners in Germany, as they cannot easily, spend to advantage even 2s. 6,d a week. It. has now been arranged to send a "personal parcel" once a quarter, and 'that"will contain clothing, and necessary toilet equipment, etc. The Bureau'at Berne sends 131b of bread per fortnight to each British prisoner, the number now amounting to 27,000 Persons., and it is interesting to Gnd that after a flour shortage when "breadbiscuits" were sent instead, that a satisfactory arrangement has been mnde to obtain the best Cauadiaii flour One of the letters received from a prisoner in Germany remarks that,, being one of the "working parties." lie did not get much time to read or study. He was inducing soma fellow-prisoners to go to Haoriland nfter the war, and''whs giving God's Own Country a good uame. which ho felt it fully deserved. . Many other matters of interest, with, regard to this war work are contained in "the booklet.