GERMANY'S PRISONERS
TRANSFERS TO EASTERN CAMPS CONDITIONS SHOW SOME DETERIORATION (Rec. 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 28. ' Prisoners of war in camps in Western Germany have recently been moved to the east as the results of Allied attacks, and, in consequence, their general conditions have suffered considerably. The Secretary of State for War, Sir James Grigg, in a statement in the House of Commons, said that the of the Allied attack on Germany by land and from the air had resulted in a movement of prisoners of war and civilians from the perimeter to the central districts, particularly the eastern side _of Germany. Conditions under which 6uch movement must take place _ had been largely created by the military success of the Allies, and, inevitably, those conditions involved for large numbers of prisoners a movement on foot under conditions of inadequate provision on roads and accommodation at night, and eventually overcrowding in the camps to which they were moved. Representatives of the protecting Power in Germany were doing all they could to secure improvements from the Germans, and their efforts had not been without result. For example, Britain had been assured that in future sick and wounded prisoners would be moved by train or lorry, and in some cases that had been done. _ The British Government and the British Red Cross had foreseen that as the weight of attack was pressed home this situation might arise, and efforts had been made to establish substantial reserves in camps of food parcels, periodical supplies, comforts, clothing, and boots, and it was hoped, despite the interruption to communication to Geneva last summer, conditions in the matter of clothing would not become serious. In the case of food parcels, however, the Germans last autumn insisted that these stocks be reduced to a weekly basis and., to the best of Britain's knowledge, this was enforced in most camps. Since then, although an agreement had been readied for the establishment of a limited reserve of supplies of food parcels outside the camps the German railway systems had been disrupted, and negotiations were now in train for the nurchase of lorries in Sweden and Switzerland. The British Government. the Supreme Command, and the British Red Cross were doing all iu their power to see that any requests from the International Red Cross should be met, provided this did not weaken the, attack on Germany and so delay the conclusion of hostilities. Earlier, Mr Eden had announced that fresli proposals regarding longterm prisoners had been handed to the Swiss Government for communication to Germany. It provided for the direct repatriation through Switzerland of a number of British prisoners from the navy, army, air force, and merchant service captured before July 1, 1940, in exchange for a number of German prisoners
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Evening Star, Issue 25422, 1 March 1945, Page 5
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460GERMANY'S PRISONERS Evening Star, Issue 25422, 1 March 1945, Page 5
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