The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1942-09-17
Tells What Is
Being Done To
Aid Prisoners
Red Cross Striving to
Get Supplies To Men
Held by Japanese.
VAST QUANTITIES NOW
READY FOR SHIPMENT

The following article, sent out by
Red Cross headquarters, tells what
is being done to make possible dis
patch of food and other relief sup
plies to prisoners of war held by the
Japanese:
Norman Fl. Davis. Chairman of
the American Red Cross, has au-
thorized the following statement.
The American Red Cross. working
in cooperation with the State De-
partment and the International Red
Cross Committee in Geneva has
been unable to obtain from the Jap
anese government despite extended
negotiations, assurance of safe con-
duct directly across the Pacific
ocean for chartered neutral ship
to carry exclusively supplementary
food, clothing, and medical supplies
to prisoners of war held by Japan.
Through the International Red
Cross Committee and the Swiss Gov
eminent, request was made to the
japanese government for the safe
conduct of vessel, but had been
advised by the International Red
Cross Committee, that Japan will
not give its guarantee of safe con-
duct for such vessel. 1t has been
represented to Japan that this boat
will be strictly neutral vessel,
that its entire roll of officers and
crew will be Swedish nationals, and
that the only other person on the
boat would be a Swiss citizen act
ing as representative of the Inter-
national Red Cross Committee. The
latter organization would, pursuant
to the provisions Of the Geneva
Treaty, undertake the supervision Of
the delivery of the packages, and
the obtaining of the necessary re-
ceipt from each prisoner and in
ternee.
The American Red Cross has ap-
pealed to the Japanese Red Cross
to use its offices with the Japanese
government to reconsider the ques-
ton of safe conduct for this vessel,
pointing out that the Red Cross, re-
lying on provisions of the treaty
giving prisoners the right to receive
supplementary relief supplies, and
assuming that it is incumbent upon
the Japanese government to facili-
tate the delivery of such supplies
by any means available, had char
tered the vessel and loaded it with
suitable supplementary food, cloth
ing and medical supplies.
The manner in which the Treaty
provisions are being made effective
by other belligerent governments,
including the German and Italian
governments, clearly shows that this
reliance was justified. The latter
have cooperated in permitting neu-
trail vessels to carry prisoners of
war relief to allied nations, prison
ers held by them. Prisoners of war
in those countries are now receiving
through the Red Cross such supple
mentary food and clothing pack
ages.
Since last December the Ameri-
can Red Cross has constantly press
ed the question of relief for prison
ers of war and internees in the Far
East. Supplementary aid can be
sent to these prisoners only through
the channels of international Red
Cross committees. This latter body
has special representative of Swiss
nationality in Tokyo. The American
Red Cross in Washington, the In
ternational Red Cross in Geneva,
and the international Red Cross del
egate in Tokyo for some months
have been in constant contact by
cable, and they have been maxi
ing every effort to open channels
for continuous flow of aid to Amer
lean prisoners in Japan and Japan
ese occupied territory.
Representatives of the Japanese
government, together with practic-
ally all of the nations of the world,
signed the two treaties known as
the Geneva Conventions OF 1929
one of which is the well-known
treaty providing for the ameliora-
ton of wartime conditions, the use
the Red Cross in time of war, and
for the organization of National
Red Cross Societies, and the other
relates to the treatment of prisoners
of war
While the Japanese government
had not previously formally TaIlleu
these treaties, it communicated tc
our government through the Swiss
government, as early as February
7, 1912, stated that it intended tc
adhere to and to apply the provi.
sions of these treaties.
1t is expressly provided in the
prisoners of war treaty that prison.
ers of war shall be allowed, indi-
vidually, to receive parcels contain
ing food and other articles, and tha
the packages should be delivered t.
the individual prisoners or in
ternees.
One of the important provisions
of the treaty is that the belligerent'
are bound to notify each other o
the names of the prisoners detained
through the information bureaus t