JAPANESE PRISONERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22475, 9 January 1943, Page 4

JAPANESE PRISONERS

Plans For Employment

WELLINGTON, January 7.

In a recent statement on the employment of Japanese prisoners, it was stated that an Army memorandum had been circulated to units inviting applications from suitable qualified soldiers to teach Japanese prisoners of war certain trades. The statement was contrary to fact, said the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) to-day, and was likely to create an erroneous impression. The present intention was to select from those in the services a few men who had experience in the manufacture of furniture and concrete products, and use them as supervisors and not as instructors.

Those prisoners who were already skilled artisans would be employed and as there were many with such experience, production was likely to be substantial. In addition to their duties as supervisors, the men appointed would be employed as guards to ensure the highest efficiency and maximum output.

The sole reason behind employment of these prisoners for concrete work was that the materials necessary were available in large quantities in the area where the camp was located, said the Minister. There was a heavy demand for these products for housing and similar purposes. Some of the work would be of the ordinary labouring type, and many of the prisoners would be so employed. The general direction of the work would be in the hands of the Public Works Department, assisted by the Army supervisors.