CONDITIONS GOOD

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22691, 20 August 1945, Page 5

CONDITIONS GOOD

JAPANESE PRISON CAMPS PARACHUTE LANDINGS “HUMANITARIAN TEAMS” (United Press Assn.—Eler. Tel. Copyrlgnt) (Received Aug. 20, 1 p.m.) CHUNGKING, Aug. 19 General Wedemeyer disclosed that volunteer American “ humanitarian teams ” each consisting of about six men have been dropped by parachute in the neighbourhood of several war prisoners’ camps in China, where it is estimated there are 20,000 Allied war prisoners and 15,000 Allied civilian internees. The teams have landed without casualty and carried out their work unmolested. They report conditions in the camps much better than was expected, with the prisoners treated quite well and the illness rate not unusually high. All the members of the humanitarian teams are volunteers, scarcely any of whom have ever parachuted. Nobody knew what reception they would get. They took a calculated risk requiring great heroism. Location Of Camps The Allied war prisoners and civilian internees include 3600 at Mukden, 9000 at Shanghai, 2800 at Hainan, 6000 at Hongkong, 2700 at Peiping, 1000 in Korea, 2500 in Formosa and 5600 in Indo-China. General Wedemeyer estimated that there were 30,000 more in the Japanese home islands. There were 34 prisoners in the camp where Lieutenant-General Wainwright was held, comprising eight Americans, 10 British and 10 Dutchmen. The rescue team reported that the Japanese camp commander, Colonel Matsuda, was most co-opera-tive.