Captain STANLEY WILSON(by Private Notice) asked the Member for Central Sheffield whether, in view of the statement made by Lord Newton yesterday in another place, all parcels for Austrian prisoners of war in this country have been stopped in an endeavour to put an end to the pilfering of parcels for British prisoners of war in Turkey whilst passing through Austria, whether such a regulation should not at once be reconsidered in view of the fact that there are a considerable number of British prisoners of war in Austria, who subsist mainly on the parcels that they receive from this country, and who, if their parcels were stopped in retaliation, would be in danger of starvation. Whether he is aware that at the present time only a percentage of the parcels sent to British prisoners of war in 1997 Austria arrive, and in view of this, would he consider the advisability of sending all parcels for British prisoners of war, both in Turkey and Austria, viâ Switzerland, and the possibility of making an arrangement with the Swiss authorities whereby these parcels might be placed in sealed cases or sacks for the various camps and handed over by them to the Austrian authorities on the frontier?
Mr. HOPENo pilfering of parcels for British prisoners of war in Turkey while passing through Austria has taken place recently because the transmission of such parcels through Austria has been stopped for the past five months. It is for this reason, therefore, and not on account of any pilfering in Austria that the delivery of parcels to Austrian and Hungarian prisoners of war in British hands has been stopped, In view of the far greater numbers and necessities of the British prisoners of war in Turkey I cannot agree that this measure should be reconsidered on account of any possible consequent stoppage of the delivery of parcels to British prisoners of war in Austria. With regard to the latter part of the question I am happy to be able to inform my hon. Friend that the methods he suggests for parcels for Austria was adopted some time ago and I have seen a letter from a British prisoner of war at Salzerbad, dated the 8th June, in which he stated that the parcels had arrived in sacks on the previous day and that there was a decided improvement in the food parcels. Parcels for Turkey are also to be sent viâ Switzerland so soon as their transmission through Austria is resumed, and an endeavour is being made to arrange for their packing at Geneva and conveyance to Constantinople in special sealed sacks.