Parade Day — officers of the army and navy had a picnic on the Escolta as the Japanese opened Heacock's, Manila's largest department store now under Japanese control, for them exclusively.

The fellow who told us we were being watched said his source was a Japanese civilian he had known for over ten years. He prevailed on him to put in a good word for us. He also told me quietly that the reason the pursuit planes were up two days ago was that an American submarine had torpedoed and sunk a number of merchant ships just outside the Bay. Well, if anyone knows these waters well it would be the U.S. Navy.

I decided to pay a visit to the Astoria alone for a cup of java. I sat there, serenely reminiscing about all recent visits and looking over the lay of the land so to speak. Who's the stooge — a waiter? One German fellow who was there today comes to mind. Or it could be the slimy-looking casual acquaintance that sidled up to me two days ago and asked, "Sa-ay, who did win the Kharkov Battle?" Fortunately I answered, "Depends on who you want to believe." A moment later he tried a different tactic: "Business is so bad even the prostitutes are broke. The Japs have just brought in a lot of girls from Shanghai and Formosa." I ignored him and left soon after.