PRISONERS IN AFRICA

Grey River Argus, 26 March 1943, Page 6

PRISONERS IN AFRICA

8.0.W. RUGBY, March 24. The Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr Law), replying to a Commons motion asking that an appeal be made to General Giraud to release all political ..prisoners m North Africa, said that Mr Eden, on March 3, gave the figures of political prisoners under detention as between five and six thousand, of whom about three thousand were Spanish nationals. An Inter-Allied Commission visited four camps, covering about 1,300 prisoners, about half of whom were Spanish nationals. The Commission’s report showed the great majority of these prisoners were not in fact in camps at all, but working in local industries at local rates of pay. They were able to live in towns in the locality, and there was no restraint whatever upon their movements. Prisoners in one camp told the Commission that they were satisfied with the conditions and hoped they would not be removed. Mr Law added: We are unlikely to obtain the objectives of complete restoration of political liberty in North Africa and the release of all political prisoners by lecturing the French authorities in a rather highhanded manner. Sometimes we would do well to remember that while we are talking here our fellow countrymen are dying. We are giving our opinions while they are givingl their lives. The picture drawn of suffering political prisoners does not conform with the report received from the Commission. We have reason to believe the situation in North Africa in respect to political prisoners is developing fairly quickly in the direction we would like to see.