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organization giving assistance to the POWs, in respect of their own shipments only, on accountof exceptional strain on transport or communications. 4489.20.3.1 Separation of Books From Other Relief Supplies. Parcels of clothing andfoodstuffs may not include books. 449 Books should be separated because the time required forcensorship of books would likely delay the distribution of other relief supplies. 4509.20.3.2 Medical Supplies in Relief Shipments. Medical supplies shall, as a rule,be sent in collective parcels. 451 This rule is meant to ensure that medical supplies can beadministered by the camp doctors and not by the POWs themselves without medicalsupervision. 452 This rule, however, would not prohibit, in exceptional cases, for example, specialmedication being sent from family members to a POW. 4539.20.3.3 Special Agreements Concerning Relief Shipments. The conditions for thesending of individual parcels and collective shipments shall, if necessary, be the subject ofspecial agreements between the Powers concerned, which may in no case delay the receipt by thePOWs of relief supplies. 4549.20.3.4 Collective Relief for POWs. In the absence of special agreementsbetween the Powers concerned on the conditions for the receipt and distribution of collectiverelief shipments, the rules and regulations concerning collective relief that are annexed to theGPW shall be applied (GPW Annex III). 455448 GPW art. 72 (“The only limits which may be placed on these shipments shall be those proposed by the ProtectingPower in the interest of the prisoners themselves, or by the International Committee of the Red Cross or any otherorganization giving assistance to the prisoners, in respect of their own shipments only, on account of exceptionalstrain on transport or communications.”).449 GPW art. 72 (“Books may not be included in parcels of clothing and foodstuffs.”).450 GPW COMMENTARY 377 (“As in the first paragraph, it is specified here [in the second paragraph of Article 76 ofthe GPW] that delivery must not be delayed under the pretext of difficulties of censorship; the conditions are usuallydifferent, however. Except in the case of books, examination requires no linguistic ability and all delay cantherefore be avoided. This is particularly important in the case of parcels containing perishable goods.”). Compare§ 10.23.3.1 (Separation of Books From Other Relief Supplies).451 GPW art. 72 (“Medical supplies shall, as a rule, be sent in collective parcels.”).452 See GPW COMMENTARY 356 (“From the beginning of the Second World War, parcels of medical suppliesaddressed by name were always sent to the chief medical officer of a camp or hospital or, if there was none, to ahead nurse, welfare officer or a representative of the local Red Cross. The question is now settled by paragraph 4 ofthe present Article, which states that, as a rule, medical supplies are to be sent in collective parcels. This solutionwas adopted in the interest of the prisoners of war, who should not have access to medical supplies except undermedical supervision.”).453 Compare § 10.23.3.2 (Medical Supplies in Relief Shipments).454 GPW art. 72 (“The conditions for the sending of individual parcels and collective relief shall, if necessary, be thesubject of special agreements between the Powers concerned, which may in no case delay the receipt by theprisoners of relief supplies.”).455 GPW art. 73 (“In the absence of special agreements between the Powers concerned on the conditions for thereceipt and distribution of collective relief shipments, the rules and regulations concerning collective shipments,which are annexed to the present Convention, shall be applied.”).572