100 Years Ago: Canadian Prisoners of War Receive Red Cross Parcels

The Intelligencer August 12, 1916 (page 3)

“One of the admirable features of Canadian Red Cross Work is the provision made for supplying Canadian prisoners of war with clothes and other comforts, and weekly parcels of food. For this purpose a special fund has been created, and in addition, by arrangement with Government authorities, any Canadian prisoner has the privilege of assigning part of his pay to the Red Cross; which in return will send him such goods as he desires and the German authorities permit.

Some people profess to doubt whether the prisoners actually receive the parcels. The Canadian Red Cross has had, however, many letters from Canadian prisoners in Germany. Many of them are published from month to month in the Red Cross Bulletin.

A prisoner in Giessen stated, ‘I received my first parcel of food through the Canadian Red Cross on November 25th, and since then they have been coming regularly. Have also had shirts, underwear, socks, gloves, muffler, blanket, overcoat, sweater and a pair of slippers. All here join in thanking the Red Cross for its kindness.’ …

There are innumerable other letters of a similar nature, and there is not the least doubt that the Canadian Red Cross, owing to the special privileges conferred on Red Cross Societies by the Hague Convention, is the best medium through which to communicate with Canadian prisoners in Germany.”