PRISONERS IN JAPAN

Southland Times, Issue 25023, 8 April 1943, Page 5

PRISONERS IN JAPAN

MORALE GOOD IN CAMPS

(8.0.W.) RUGBY, April 5. The Secretary for War, Sir James Grigg, answering a question in the House of Commons, said the delegate to the International Red Cross Committee in Tokyo had visited six camps near Osaka and seven near Fukuoka. Telegrams from Geneva had specially mentioned good morale in the latter camps, but there was little further information. Two of the six camps near Osaka contained Dutch from Java and 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 at each camp and those sick were also visited by Japanese doctors. The men were employed on various types of work for which they received pay. The Japanese provided a certain amount of clothing, but more was needed. Food rations were reported to be satisfactory in quality, but not very substantial and naturally of Japanese type. Each man was allowed between 150 to 200 cigarettes monthly. Some of the British prisoners had already received supplies which had been sent through the diplomatic exchange ships. The Red Cross delegate was taking action to obtain more clothing, medical supplies, games and literature. Some thousands of letters had been delivered to prisoners in Japan and Japaneseoccupied territory and a further distribution was in project as the sorting proceeded.