THE CONFISCATORY HUN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12081, 9 August 1917, Page 4

THE CONFISCATORY HUN.

PARCELS Fefß PRISONERS OF WAR.. " From reports which Jia.vo boon received from the JJigh Commissioner trom time to time." state* tho Now Zealand Mini.sti.M- of Defence, "it is clear that, the. present, procedure respecting tho forwarding of parcels to prisone-s of war i s not satisfactory. This is 'argoly duo to the; fart that the conditions relating t. O tho trnn.smks.sion ol such ])!ire ( i],s for prisoners of war in Germany are continually boino; altered. Parents, relatives- and' frior.ds of prisoners of war should in future remit to tho Hii.;h Commissioner money for the purchase of food parcels, et-c. Mo will then arrange to purchase only such articles as are provided for in tho regulations, which, if nob implicitly obeyed, will cnu.so parcels to he confiscated.

" Tlio change- is very largely attributable in the fiict that/difficulties have arisen with regard to sending food oontainod in tin receptacles, the Germans having adopted the practice of removing such articles from tlio prisoner. l *' parcels. Tho tins aro eventually opened, and the food i.s given out, but the tins an> withhold, and. it is presumed, used by tho Germans for military purposes. It will ho .readily understood that, a:; tinned food ouickly deteriorates when exposed to the air, this, is a very serious matter for all prisoners of war; indeed. Sir Thomas Mackenzie has reported that our men have already sen! iirpent and repeated appeals that food in tins should not be sent to them on nccoirrft of the above-mentioned action of the enpr-or Gbvornment. "Difficulties have been also experienced with respect to cigarettes, the packet?, of which have been found to contain pictures and cartoons. In consequence of tb's such cigarettes are being confiscatou."