JAP PRISON CAMPS

Grey River Argus, 8 April 1943, Page 3

JAP PRISON CAMPS

RUGBY, April 6. The War Secretary (Sir J. Grigg) answering a Commons question said the delegate of the International Red Cross Committee in Tokio had visited six camps near Osaka and seven near Fukuoka. Telegrams from Geneva specially mentioned the good morale in the latter groups, but there was little further information. Two of the six camps near Osaka contained Dutch from Java. The other four contained Americans and British, the latter from Hong Kong. The officer-in-charge of these camps was said to be correct and understanding in his attitude to the prisoners. There was a prisoner of war doctor -in each camp, and the sick were also visited by Japanese doctors. Men were employed in various types of work for which they received working pay. The Japanese provided a certain amount of clothing but more was needed. Food rations were reported satisfactory in • quality, but not very substantial, and naturally of the Japanese type. Each man was allowed between 150 and 200 cigarettes monthly; Some British prisoners had already received supplies which were sent ’ through diplomatic exchangeships. The Red Cross delegate was taking action to obtain more clothing, medical supplies games and literature. Some thousands of letters had been delivered to the prisoners in Japan and Japanese occupied territory, and a further distribution was in project as the sorting proceeded.