Tribune: A total of 530 planes made five raids on Rabaul on January 22 and 23; the Japanese shot 125 down, including 32 probables. Their losses were 2 that "failed to return to their base" on the first day, and 13 the next day, plus "others ... damaged on the ground."

Overcrowding on a passenger train is blamed for its collision with a freight train south of San Pablo, Laguna. Result: 17 dead and 39 injured.

The Japanese are set to begin cleaning up the city the moment Laurel says "go" — perhaps even if he doesn't. Some 300 names are on their list including a few prominent ones. People are sensing that things are about to become complicated in more ways than one. In the last three days, the rice ration was only 120 grams per person — 40 grams per day! Biba, all but admitting a complete inability to do its job, will allow free entry of rice again starting tomorrow. It won't help much as the problem is transportation: an acute shortage of alcohol for vehicles and the inability of trains to stay on track.

Sadder yet is the local civil situation. Economic Inspectors, F.A. Officials, Metropolitan Constabulary, Sanitary Inspectors, and so forth, who rely on graft to make ends meet, have suddenly become honest pillars of society bent on a frenzy of investigations and confiscations. As usual, these begin and end where the job is easiest: with honest people, mostly of non-Filipino blood. Dad's store, the last remaining dry goods store selling cloth to ration ticket holders, was hit, as was Schaer today.

Schaer bought four sacks of sugar at P320 each (P4 prewar) and was immediately hit by F.A. investigators. When he went to the bank to stop payment of the check, he found the seller there together with the F.A. investigators! It's no secret that when the Restaurant Association can't deliver, restaurants, tearooms and bakeries have to buy from the black market or close shop.

Budd, of the Acacia, frustrated by three sanitary inspectors, said he paid top prices at the black market because the meat was fresh. He offered to take them on a meat-buying trip. "Come on," he said, "you wait outside and I'll buy anything I want from the black market. What's more, you know the places and you know they sell at those prices." The inspectors relented.

Some fun we're having, eh? But the worst is yet to come: every once in a while, the Japanese remind us that they don't have any intention of declaring Manila an Open City — and Manilans can't evacuate without transportation.

If Laurel has four other governments to contend with, the people also have Laurel's government to contend with — like a train on the skids rushing headlong into disaster — downhill, out of control, brakes loose, couplings lifted. The situation is bad enough unregulated — regulated, it becomes a catastrophe.