Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-04
JAPAN's PRISONERS OF WAR.
Provision Made for Giving Out Infor
nation

The Japanese minister has received an Of
fetal statement regarding the provisions
made In Japan for giving information con-
corning prisoners of war. For this pur-
pose a bureau of information, regarding
prisoners of war, was established at Tokyo,
February 81. Major General Ishimoto, vice
minister of war, was appointed chief of the
bureau. and about the end of that month
the bureau was formally opened. Regula-
tons were issued and rules adopted for the
enhancement of the comfort of prisoners
and for the dissemination of information
concerning them. Among other things ar
! rangements were made by which they
could send and receive letters, postal orders,
etc. 1t was provided. also, that the govern
ment railway should transport free OF
charge all articles donated to prisoners,
and that all donations from abroad to pris-
oners should be exempt from customs du-
ties and internal revenue taxes
AS soon as the bureau had been estab-
lished General 1shimoto communicated wit h
all Japanese military and naval COM
manders and requested them to commune
cate to him whatever information it was
possible to obtain concerning the prisoners
taken, well as all information obtained
concerning the enemys dead, and to for
ward such information to him from the
seat of war by telegraph whenever possible.
He established a system also whereby the
officials having prisoners in charge were
required to obtain all possible details and
information concerning them for cOmmunl-
cation to whoever might inquire about
them. Thus far the inquiries concerning
prisoners as a rule have been made for
mally through the foreign legations at
Tokyo, but the chief of the bureau desires
TO have 1t known as widely as possible
that information will be given on the re-
quest of private individuals and that such
applications will be acted on promptly and
fully. Up to this time requests for informal
ton have been made only concerning Of
ficers, and not single inquiry has been
received with reference to the non-commiS-
stoned officers and privates. 1t is thought
that possibly this may be due to ignorance
of the existence of the bureau. The bureau
regularly each ten days communicates
through the foreign office and the French
legation at Tokyo all information obtained
regarding the prisoners. the places to
which they have been sent, the condition OF
their health. etc. Detailed reports regard
ing the dead found the field also are
furnished whenever 1t is possible to ascer-
tain names and other particulars.
Up to the present time considerable
amount of money and number OF articles
of various kinds have been sent to the pris-
oners through the bureau. His majesty the
Emperor of Russia made a donation 10
four prisoners on the Both of March last,
the Russian Church sent to the prisoners a
number of gifts received during Lent, and
General Won Wahl sent his son, through the
German legation the sum of 500 yen. Arti-
cles of value and money found on the dead
have been forwarded regularly by the bu-
reau to the French legation at Tokyo.
Up to the 9th Of June the number OF
prisoners brought to Japan was 551. there
being 10 officers and $50 non-commissioned
officers and privates. Ten officers and BIT
non-commissioned officers and privates were
wounded, and privates died after reach
ing Japan. Three officers and men be-
longed to the navy. The majority of the
prisoners were captured in the battle OF
the Yalu At the present time number
of other prisoners are on the way to Japan
| from the seat of war.
Places for the detention OF prisoners have
| been established at Matsuyama In the prov
| ince of Iyo. The seriously wounded are
placed In the military hospital, while the
| lighter cases are cared for in temporary
| hospitals. The uninjured officers are kept
| in the Matsuyama city hall and the others
are confined in temples. Many of the peo-
| ole in the vicinity visit the prisoners and
| express their sympathy in various ways
generally by presents of food. clothing and
| other useful articles. Christian mission
aries are permitted free access to the pris-
4 OnerS,