It is the time for speeches. Commissioner of the Interior Jose P. Laurel said in a speech to City Hall:

If there are Filipinos who still believe that America will come back, I will tell you that America will not return and she cannot return.... Those that are cooperating with reservation had better change their minds and cooperate wholeheartedly, for sooner or later they will be discovered....

And even if America should return here, which I believe she cannot do, you would not be the ones to suffer by cooperating with Japan. We would be the ones to suffer, we the members of the Executive Committee and other outstanding leaders. They would pick us out and line us up before a firing squad, perhaps in a public plaza, and kill us.

He's exaggerating his own importance, but it's interesting that both Laurel and Aquino say they "are willing to be traitors to America if by doing so we help the people." In truth, any decent Filipino should feel that way. But if any members of the Executive Committee get shot at all, it is more likely to be by their own countrymen than by the Americans.

. . . .

Ran into Father Theo at the Escolta at 1400 and took him to the Astoria where he indulged in ice cream and cake. Schaer joined us after introductions. The Padre talked in his usual careless manner, so carelessly that I was beside myself with fear.

He recounted how Bishop Finnemann got in the way of the Japanese establishing a hotel for bad women [brothel] in the convent or school adjoining a church. Eventually the Japanese had enough. They beat and tortured him for several days — tied and left him in the sun for seven hours, and made him sit, stand and bow for some 200 soldiers until he fainted. They fed him only crumbs from their plates. On the morning of his last day, they stripped off all his vestments and beat him again, then took him away on a motorboat. When the Apostolic Delegate asked for news of the Bishop, he was told the Bishop had committed suicide.

Father Theo said his own work couldn't continue without the generous donations of supplies and money collected by Bishop Binsted — P35,000 to P50,000 so far.

Last December, the commandant at Cabanatuan wouldn't let him in and refused his offer of White Label whiskey and cigars. Feigning an affront, Father Theo told the interpreter, "Please tell the commandant that he will offend me by refusing, and offend all the Catholics in Manila too." The commandant grinned and was most happy to accept.

Accused of being anti-Axis, he replied, "I am a German. With my body and mind I want the Axis to win. My soul belongs to God who created all men equal. I must be a friend equally of all men — Germans, Americans, Japanese." The officer swallowed it all and merely looked pained.

...ooOoo...