PRISONERS OF WAR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 24 May 1917, Page 3

PRISONERS OF WAR.

A, .HINTS TO RELATIVES AND FRIENDS. The Acting-Prime Minister has received the following report from the High Commissioner, dated February 13, on the work of his department, in reference *to matters connected with parcels ! for prisoners of war. Sir Thomas Mackenzie.says: The care and welfare of the New Zealand prisoners of var under my charge continues to engage my attention to a consider- { able extent, especially in view of the , breach of diplomatic relations which has taken place between the United States j and Germany as a cresult of the latter's .; country's "ruthlessness" in .submarine .warfare. ?ja the meantime, the interests of British prisoners iii Germany, which Mr Gerard and his Embassy's tftaff watched with stvch solicitude, have | been transferred to the care of the Dutch Government. The Central Prisoners of War Committee, while Dot, of course, b«-ing able to give more than an expression of opinion upon the preseat positio-n, is not modifying the scope of its operaj tions in any way, and is continuing to i send supplies forward as usual, and our • New Zealand Prisoners of War Depart- ! ment is acting similarly. It is hoped i that no serious interference with the | activities of the various Prisoners' As- j sociartions will occur. I [ With regard to the forwarding of j parcels^ to New Zealand prisoners of j war, if we are able to get parcels i through, the question of making nearly all purchases on this side is worthy of the consideration of relatives and ! friends in New Zealand, for then the ; packing will be of the best, and food- | stuffs will be fresh, at any rate. For i this purpose money .should, be remitted Ito this country. On the other hand, the increased stringency of the block-

■S^kS 8?* ca *s\ P"«fe for prisoners packeu here- to be withheld by us in £T coming from New Zealand ; and if the contents of such parcels sent direct to the prisoners ftom the Dominion were not so satisfactory m all respects, the result might be unfortunate both for the sender's and ?fe recipients. I regret to say that many parcels have reached me in a very" battered condition and that sometimes ' the Sn? I "S A aS bA en £> ne "ritkout sufficient forethought. Unsoldered tins containing cakes, sheets, etc., have been biokeu, and the contents become mouldy. Parcels badly packed have come to hand with cake, chocolate, scented soap, pills, etc., all mixed up! and the goods have thus been rendered uneatable, and have had to be destroyed. I observe, too, that most of the parcels contain articles the majority of which have been exported from 'this country m the first instance and oould be purchased much more cheaply here In the meantime we think V would I perhaps oe better to carry out the sug- : gestion that purchases be made and parcels be packed here. ! Relatives and friends will be glad to £ ar?_ that acknowledgments of the Christmas parcels sent by our Prisoner'sor Y\ar Department are now coming to hand, ten having been received to date, and th.c contents seem to have given very general satisf action.