Miscellaneous (General). Prisoners, including: Agenda and minutes of meetings of...

FO 383/242

1916

Miscellaneous (General). Prisoners, including:

Agenda and minutes of meetings of the Interdepartmental Committee on Prisoners, from 31 March 1916 to 22 December 1916, including some papers on specific subjects.

Lady Victoria Herbert: enquiry about the provision of financial support to British prisoners in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and the Balkans.

Proposal by Mr Malcolm MP for an Anglo-German Red Cross Conference.

Provision of food and supplies to prisoners, including:

• Despatch of food supplies to Allied prisoners in Germany and Austria Hungary.
• Agreement to continue with the existing arrangements for sending food to Russian prisoners in Germany.

Proposal by Mr A C Harte of the International Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) to open canteens in hostile countries for the provision of food to prisoners, including:

• Later proposal by Mr A C Harte for opening shops in prison camps, listing his requirements.
• Undertaking by the German Government that the scheme would not result in the reduction of existing rations to prisoners.
• Letter from Margaret, the Crown Princess of Sweden, asking for permission to forward parcels from America containing food and clothing to prisoners in various countries; letter from the Foreign Office to Mr Harte refusing permission for parcels to be sent to Turkish prisoners.
• Enquiry from the German Government about a proposed shipment of clothing from America to German and Austro-Hungarian prisoners, dependent on the acceptance by the government of proposals relating to the repatriation of civilian prisoners; acceptance by the German Government of the terms of the proposals, and arrangements for the shipment to proceed.
• Arrangements by Mr Harte for the shipment of blankets and shirts to Turkish prisoners in Siberia; ruling by the Foreign Office that these should only be sent to German and Austro-Hungarian prisoners; later agreement by the Foreign Office for the situation regarding Turkish prisoners to be considered.
• Permission for the YMCA to erect a hut or tent within the limits of an internment camp.
• Approval by the French Government of the proposed canteen scheme by the YMCA.
• Agreement in principle by the Foreign Office for parcels to be sent from Sweden by War Prisoners' Aid to Allied prisoners and to German and Austrian prisoners in Russia.

Printed report (French language) by the International Red Cross Society at Geneva on visits to prisoner of war camps in Tunisia and Algeria in December 1915 and January 1916.

Report by Mr Thomas R Wallace, the American Consul at Martinique, West Indies, on conditions at the internment camp at Fort Desaix, Martinique.

Proposals on conditions for the exchange of German and Allied invalid and disabled prisoners, including:

• Report of the repatriation by the Swedish authorities of ten invalid crew members of the German cruiser Albatross.
• Proposal by the German Government for a neutral medical commission to examine incapacitated prisoners and decide on their eligibility for repatriation; agreement in principle by the War Office to the proposal.
• Enquiry about the repatriation of four German soldiers from the Cameroons interned in Spain.
• Proposed arrangement between Denmark and Russia for the release of incapacitated prisoners interned on Danish territory.
• Assurance of safe conduct by the French Government to incapacitated enemy prisoners repatriated from neutral countries; similar assurances by the Italian and Russian governments.

Printed copy (French language) of a Procés-Verbal, signed at Stockholm on 13 May 1916 by delegates of the International Red Cross Society from Allied and enemy countries, on the treatment of prisoners of war.

Proposal by the Swedish and Danish governments ro repatriate invalid enemy prisoners.

Proposal by the Admiralty for the exchange of German crew members of the SS Dresden, interned in Chile, for a corresponding number of British naval officers and men interned in Denmark and Norway; opposition to the scheme by the German Government, and efforts by them to secure the release of Lieutenant Wieblitz.

Code 1250 Files 63699-106129.

Files 63699-106129.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Clothing

Internment

International

Army

Asia

Caribbean

Europe and Russia

Royalty

Aid and development

Food and drink

Navy

Americas

Middle East

Rationing

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Operations, battles and campaigns

Prisons