As a result of Yamashita's order for the confiscation of all means of transportation, RICE, which had slumped to P250 a ganta last Saturday, reached P450 a ganta today. Beef is now up to P450 a kilo, and 3-1/2 year-old cans of condensed milk are changing hands at P600 each!

Julio Kaufmann went to town on his wife's bike, and a Japanese Navy Officer promptly grabbed it, paying Julio P1,000 for two-months "rent." Julio had to sign four pieces of paper, and was left without a shred of evidence to show who had taken the bike. Others have fared worse. One fellow was given P160 for two-months "rent" of his bike — one-fifth a can of condensed milk. They're now doing the same for cars — P5,000 to P10,000 for two-months "rent." And where will the Japanese be in two months?

Everyone had to walk today. I walked to the Escolta and back — noticing only half of the usual crowd around — and everyone was frankly stating they were there to wind up affairs and then "to hell with it."

The Sotelos flirted dangerously close to disaster, and saved themselves by dragging me then Campos into it. Someone tipped the Japanese that they had a car in their garage, hidden behind a barricade and masses of flowers.

The Kaufmanns and Menzis were given three days to move — and not a pushcart or bicycle to move things with! They'll go to Gaberman's, but Mrs. Menzi was denied permission to take Joe's room at our house because the Embassy says it is still reserved for them.

LEYTE: With the fall of Palompon, it's finished except for the mopping up of stragglers. The total number of prisoners is still less than 500 for the whole campaign. After losing so many planes, the Japanese were only able to make "half-hearted" raids on Tacloban and Mindoro.