Tribune: "Nippon Naval units attack Foe Shipping, Shell San José ... Americans lose 11 more vessels; airfields blasted."

"Registration of Vehicles Extended" to December 31. The Japanese quizzed the Sotelos about their jitney. The Caloocan unit that had "sealed" it previously hadn't come to take it — most likely because they couldn't find a spare battery. Meanwhile, the Sotelos' driveway is looking like the Siegfried Line — full of plants! Manny says if it's successful, he'll pay more attention to plants in the future.

Walked to the Escolta and back for the third day in a row. I noticed Japanese officers riding in big cars now — at most one or two per car — and they weren't picking up officers they didn't know! I trailed an officer yesterday; nobody offered him a lift. He was too proud to ask for one despite being obviously tired. Finally, as I passed the weary man, a truck stopped to give him a lift.

A truck picked up all the furniture from the house on our left and departed with our Japanese neighbor. One said that those ordered to leave Manila had to be out by January 2. The Japanese are also taking equipment of the Oxy-Acetylene Company north — piece-by-piece. Another said the Japanese will establish their headquarters in Tarlac. Well, maybe in the mountains of Baguio, but definitely not in Tarlac ... not with MacArthur on his way over.

Japanese banks will not open to the public after January 1, bringing to mind all those Taiwan Bank advertisements: "Stop complaining — invest or save." Many don't expect the Japanese to pay for the cars they've taken. Japanese big shots that had previously "bought" houses have sold them, in most cases for much less than they're worth, to their Filipino "friends," and are using the proceeds to "buy" canned goods for their trip north.

The Japanese long ago cleaned out all the local banks of US Dollars. Some banks, worrying about getting caught with genuine Philippine currency, turned it over to the Government. (Sounds phony.) Last week, Dr. Jacinto, father of Jess, was picked up and taken to Fort Santiago at 0500 — and Jess is a sight at the Philippine Bank of Commerce these days. Dr. Jacinto is President of the bank — it's "his" bank.