§ 72. Major-General Sir Alfred Knoxasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that sometimes letters and cards from prisoners of war in Italy take as much as three months in transit; whether this delay is in any degree due to the censorship in Britain; and whether he will make representations to the Protecting Power with a view to the speeding up of correspondence from Italy?
§ The Assistant Postmaster-General (Mr. Grimston)Letters and postcards from British prisoners of war in Italy are conveyed all the way from Italy to this country by air. I am aware that some of the correspondence does not reach this country till three months from the date of writing. On the other hand a considerable proportion of the correspondence, often from the same camps, is received within a month or less from the date of writing. For instance, one mail recently received contained letters bearing dates in October, November, December, and January. This state of affairs clearly indicates delay before despatch from Italy, for censorship or other reasons, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has already caused representations on the subject to be made to the Italian authorities through the Protecting Power. A reply to these representations is awaited.