ations ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁preserve ▁its ▁reputation ▁as ▁a ▁neutral ▁and ▁im partial ▁organization ▁by ▁not ▁inter fer ing ▁with ▁what ▁was ▁viewed ▁as ▁a ▁German ▁internal ▁matter . ▁The ▁Red ▁Cross ▁also ▁considered ▁its ▁primary ▁focus ▁to ▁be ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war ▁whose ▁countries ▁had ▁signed ▁the ▁Gene va ▁Convention . ▁ ▁The ▁legal ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁IC RC ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁were ▁the ▁Gene va ▁Con vent ions ▁in ▁their ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁revision . ▁The ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁Committee ▁were ▁similar ▁to ▁those ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I : ▁visit ing ▁and ▁monitoring ▁P OW ▁cam ps , ▁organ izing ▁relief ▁assistance ▁for ▁civil ian ▁populations , ▁and ▁admin ister ing ▁the ▁exchange ▁of ▁messages ▁regarding ▁prisoners ▁and ▁missing ▁persons . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁ 1 7 9 ▁deleg ates ▁had ▁conducted ▁ 1 2 , 7 5 0 ▁vis its ▁to ▁P OW ▁cam ps ▁in ▁ 4 1 ▁countries . ▁The ▁Central ▁Information ▁Agency ▁on ▁Pr ison ers - of - W ar ▁( A gence ▁centrale ▁des ▁prison ni ers ▁de ▁guerre ) ▁had ▁a ▁staff ▁of ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁card ▁index ▁tracking ▁prisoners ▁contained ▁ 4 5 ▁million ▁cards , ▁and ▁ 1 2 0 ▁million ▁messages ▁were ▁ex changed ▁by ▁the ▁Agency . ▁One ▁major ▁obst acle ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁Naz i - control led ▁German ▁Red ▁Cross ▁refused ▁to ▁co oper ate ▁with ▁the ▁Gene va