Pachoy showed me a "Prisoner of War" card from Eileen Connor in Santo Tomas that said: "Please see the Japanese Embassy and try to find out what things you can send in. Badly in need of supplies." So Pachoy did. Kato was surprised. "What's the matter with those people?" he said. "They're better off in there than we out here." Apparently, nothing is being allowed in again, and internees are afraid to write.

The Japanese are at loggerheads with Laurel again; chaffing at the inertia of the government in the face of an impending American invasion. Secretly they know that's what we want, but they have to pretend otherwise to try to get us to declare war when it arrives. They'd like the government to whip up public sentiment; make defense a byword; hurry preparations — just what kind of preparations, they don't know because they're afraid to trust us — plus one thing dear to them: a partial evacuation of Manila. And there's the rub....

For a start, evacuation during the rainy season is almost impossible; then there's the problem of where to go. The Japanese are insisting; Laurel is resisting. The Japanese demanded to know by what authority Laurel chose to disregard the wishes of the Japanese Army. "By grace of the independence granted to the Philippines by Japan," said Laurel. He even threatened to resign if the evacuation was forced. The meeting broke up in a huff.

Now cast a gander at page 3 of the Nippon Times of March 21, 1944: "P.I. Economy keyed for decisive move ... Streamlining of Industrial Structure greatly increase fighting power." (What industry?) This line is catching: "At the same time, efforts have been made to ENFORCE (my emphasis) the Japan-Philippine Alliance Treaty." Such is the tripe the people of Japan are being fed.