MINDORO IT IS! Freddie Kaufmann sidled up to me in church then whispered all too loudly: "Have you seen the papers? The Americans have landed in Mindoro." A few people turned around, electrified by his words. The fellow in the pew in front dropped his paper on the floor, and we read the headline: "25 American Vessels Sunk or Damaged off Mindoro." A man at the end of the pew kept craning his neck as he fingered his rosary, trying to figure out what it meant.

After Mass the newspaper boy sold out quick. No one appeared excited — the people have had a few years of practice at hiding their feelings. The tension was there though, and spread to the soldiers buying Japanese papers from another boy.

"Mindoro!" said a friend expansively. "Now we know we're next — there's nothing but us next door."

"Keep your shirt on," I answered, telling him we would have to wait some 30 to 45 days — and I knew I was being optimistic.

He just smiled and said: "OK, make it 90 days. But we're next!" I didn't take that away from him.

The Tribune said that the landing took place on December 15 — 48 hours ago! It went to town claiming a number of ships sunk between December 13 and 15, but no one here cared — the papers have cried "wolf" too many times.

Downed Aircraft

"U.S. Raiders Exact Toll on Civilians" — the article only proves it was due to antiaircraft. A picture shows the plane downed at 0310 the other morning; it fell in the southern part of the Northern Cemetery. The fin looks like an F6F's with a painted white roundel and maybe a "6" inside it. Manilans are skeptical.

"Fighting rages in Ormoc area" is a small article on the lower part of page 1. That's where Leyte is now in the news — almost forgotten.

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