Imperial Valley press., 1944-02-23

relief to American prisoners OF war
and civilian interneeS in the Far
East. Many of these cables dealt
with mail and communication facil-
tiles and others were concerned
with the local procurement of sup
Elementary relief supplies by means
Cross.
MADE AGREEMENT
Although the Japanese govern
ment has never been a party to
the Geneva convention, through
efforts of the state department and
the Red Cross the japanese govern
ment approved appointment of Jap
anese international committee dele
gates for permanent station in Jap
an, Shanghai and Hong Kong, but
despite all attempts by the Ameri-
can Red Cross has not yet appoint
ed an international committee del
egate to function in the Philippines
or even to visit the islands.
The Red Cross in Dec. 194l, at
tempted to get japanese approval
for a relief ship to carry supplies
20 prisoners of war and internees,
chartered a ship and had it loaded
only to have the japanese refuse
to give safe conduct.
The japanese did agree to let
supplies through on the diplomatic
exchange ships and the Gripsholr1
in 1912 was loaded with more than
100 tons of American Red Cross sup
plies. and an equal amount of Can
adian which reached Yokohama il
August 1912.
SEEKS REGULAR ROUTE
However as these diplomatic ex-
change ships are only a temporary
eXpedient, the Red Cross has been
seeking to have regular route es-
tablished for the flow of relief sup
plies to United Nations prisoners of
war and civilian interneeS in the
far east. The most liberal proposals
were made, including one in Febru-
ary. l943, when the American Red
Cross even offered, with the ap-
proval of the U. S. government, to
furnish the japanese Red Cross a
ship to carry relief supplies, to be
turned over to the Japanese at any
point specified by them, even IN
mid-Pacific and there to be man
ned by a japanese crew, and re-
turned empty after the distribution
of supplies. The japanese would
then pick up second fully loaded
ship and the process would be re-
peated.
The Japanese government never
even replied to this proposal. They
finally suggested that they would
consider accepting supplies sent bY
Soviet ships from west coast port
to Vladivostok. The state depart
ment obtained the consent of the
Russian government and in August
last year the Russian government
agreed to carry l,500 tons of relief
supplies monthly on Soviet ships 10
Vladivostok.
WENT TO VLADIVOSTOK
The first shipment of supplies,
made in spite of the risk involved,
was sent to Vladivostok and sub
stantial amounts are now in this
country ready for immediate ship
ment as soon as the japanese ac-
cept the supplies already there
Gables have been sent through the
International Red Cross to the Jap
anese Red Cross asking them 20
submit a definite proposal for the
distribution of the supplies but the
Japanese have as yet offered no
definite plan.
In SPIT. 1943 the Gripsholm made
its second trip with a cargo of
American Red Cross relief supplies
valued at $1,3O0,00O including food
packages, medical supplies, vitamin
capsules, clothing and comfort arti-
cleS
This cargo was transferred to the
Japanese exchange vessel on Oct.
81. About one-half the supplies were
unloaded in Manila on Nov. for
distribution to camps in the Philip
pines and about week later several
hundred tors were unloaded at
| UnE