Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-12-31
laps Reported Selling
Red Cross Parcels
Sent 10 Internees

(Roydl Arch Gunnison 1Uus the
North American Newspaper AL
lance correspondent in China.
Australia, Ne,D Zealand and the
Philippines and pas in Manila
Dhen the city fell to the jap
dneSe. He 1DdS interned by the
JapS for almost tWo years before
being repdtriated.)
NEW YORK, Dec. 3l.-Word Just
received from Japanese-occupie
East Asia that DR.. Paravicini, In
ternational Red Cross delegate in
Japan, was attempting to distribute
American Red Cross comfort and
medical parcels to civilians and
military prisoners in Jap camps
over the holiday season, raises a
question as to how many of these
much-needed parcels actually will
reach the prisoners
Only recently returned on the re-
patriation ship Gripsholm from
nearly two years imprisonment in
two Jap camps-one in Manila, one
In Shanghai have a basis for
wondering about distribution of
parcels sent from home to the Far
East. For one thing I never re-
ceived or saw one. 1 know from my
own personal experience in Shang-
hal that up to the time we left in
September there were still unde-
livered some Of the medical end
comfort parcels sent to the Far
East on the returning ships from
the first G942) exchange. Further
more, I know that many of these
parcels somehow" were "unavoid-
able broken open" and that the Jap
soldiers and some civilians were
using and repeatedly even selling
the contents-particula cigarettes
and some of the medicines.
Feared Japs Would Pull Out.
Our people, the Swiss represent
Ing our interests and the American
Red Cross delegate aboard the
Gripsholm were so fearful the JapsI
would pull out Of Goa before all
the Red Cross supplies were loaded
and they had reason, due to re-
ports of Jap behavior at the first
exchange in 1912 at LourencoI
Marques, Portuguese East India
that all personnel exchange at Goa
was made secondary TO the speedy
loading of these supplies aboard the
Teia Maru
The Jap captain stated he was
leaving on a certain date loaded
or not" Since the Gripsholm was
a day late in arriving, it meant "a
hour unloading to get all the COM
fort kits, medical supplies, and
clothing parcels off the Gripsholm
and "horsed" by Indian labor over
to the quay alongside the Teia.
Our people figured if all these sup
plies were dumped on the quay in
front of the Teia the Jap captain
would lose too much face" just to
SO off and leave it sitting there.
Although the Red Gross has been
very hush-hush about it, there was
much talk at Goa regarding some
parcels and supplies repeatedly left
by the Japs in Lourenco Marques.
Supposed to Move Supplies Quickly.
1t meant added inconvenience for
us American and Canadian repatri-
ates to remain aboard the camp
ship extra days before transfer to
the clean, white Gripsholm-but We
were glad to remain f1lthy-and
continue to go without to be abso-
lutely sure the supplies would get
aboard and back to those we left
behind. If the Japs double crossed
us at Lourenco Marques in 1912, we
saw to it they didn't repeat in 1943.
Under international agreement
the Japs are supposed to move these
supplies-as we'll as a prescribed
type of mail-quickly. But as usual
the Japs stalled. stating they didn't
have the bottoms in which to move
the supplies. There's no excuse for
that this time. The Teia was sched-
uled to put into Saigon, French Indol
China; San Fernando or Manila
Bay in the Philippines; and Hong
Kong and Shanghai en- route to
Yokohama. I saw the supplies
loaded, and loaded in such a man.
ner as to permit unloading at these
ports.
But after being prisoner in these
camps and experiencing Jap treat
ment I'm still skeptical regarding
full delivery of comfort parcels,
even though they may have been
unloaded at the ports of call.