WAR PRISONERS IN JAPANESE HANDS

Southland Times, Issue 24860, 28 September 1942, Page 2

WAR PRISONERS IN JAPANESE HANDS

Shipments Of Parcels (P.A.) WELLINGTON, September 26. Details of relief shipments for prisoners of war and civilian internees in the Far East have been received by the Prisoners’ of War Inquiry Office headquarters through the Australian and New Zealand representative of the International Red Cross. For future Japanese camps supplies will be divided on 'a percentage basis according to the number of prisoners and internees. Malaya heads the list with 37 per cent, and the remainder are: East Indies 33 per cent.; Philippines 19; Hong Kong 6; Korea and Formosa 3J; Shanghai IJ. The cable says that on the first sailing the steamer Osama unloaded 2823 South African packages at Singapore and that 451 South African in addition to 3717 American Red Cross packages were unloaded at Yokohama pending shipment. . The International Red Cross delegate at Tokyo advises that as the Osama’s second sailing is delayed he is loading 150 tons for Shanghai and 300 tons for Manila from Yokohama stocks. Of the present stocks in Singapore he had requested the authorities to reship 50 per cent, to the Netherlands East Indies and an Indian relief shipment was being completely unloaded at Singapore together with medical supplies. Shipping to Hong Kong was still impossible. The percentages quoted for future Japanese camps are the final distribution plan of all Red Cross relief. The office notifies that a further list of civilian internees in Singapore, Borneo, Sarawak and Java has been received and distributed throughout for public inspection. The total number of prisoners listed at the office is now 6602 and five unofficial.