N.Z. PRISONERS OF WAR

Southland Times, Issue 24682, 2 March 1942, Page 3

N.Z. PRISONERS OF WAR

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, February 28. The weekly statement by the Prisoners of War Office says that immediately a man is officially notified as a prisoner the High Commissioner’s Office in London also receives the information and immediately forwards the first quarterly next of kin parcel. On account of the time taken by the parcels to reach Geneva from New Zealand they also forward the second quarterly parcel so that the first parcel from New Zealand is actually the third to be received by the prisoner.

The statement contains instances to show that letters are reaching prisoners, some very quickly and others after a delay. One man says he has had 24 letters and one took only 23 days to arrive. The office advises next of kin to be patient over this matter of correspondence. A warning is again issued about sending food parcels. There is ample evidence that prisoners are receiving Red Cross parcels every week and next of kin should not hamper the work of the overseas organization by endeavouring to send additional parcels of food. The statement refers also to rumours of quarterly parcels being held up in New Zealand. Every personal parcel that has passed through the censoring branches in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin has left New Zealand,