HC Deb 17 May 1944 vol 400 cc158-9
6. Captain Gammans

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if any approach has been made to the Japanese Government to allow shipments of supplies and mail to be sent via Vladivostok to British prisoners of war in Japanese hands on the same lines as those allowed for U.S.A. war prisoners.

Mr. Eden

By agreement with the United States Government, arrangements for despatching supplies via Vladivostok will apply equally to British and American prisoners of war and internees in Japanese hands. As regards mail, if the route via Vladivostok should be opened for correspondence for American prisoners of war and internees, it will be used also for correspondence for British prisoners of war and internees should it prove quicker than the existing route.

Captain Gammans

Does the Foreign Secretary's answer mean that arrangements have actually been made to send supplies?

Mr. Eden

Yes, Sir, that is right, and arrangements made with our American friends give us exactly the same facilities as they give to their own people.

Captain Gammans

Does that apply to all territories where our prisoners are interned?

Mr. Eden

I think that, in every single case in which we or the Americans are concerned, we give each other the same facilities as we have ourselves.

Mr. Godfrey Nicholson

Will the right hon. Gentleman state categorically that the Americans have not succeeded in doing any better for their prisoners or interned civilians, than we have?

Mr. Eden

We have been quite as successful as they have. There has been complete collaboration between us, but neither of us has been able to achieve what we wanted.