I went downtown and back twice today in useless attempts to do something, finally walking home in the rain. That's about 20 to 25 kilometers for the day, and boy, don't my feet know it! The Japanese opened some bodegas and allowed their workers to take things. Here and there, an attempt was made to distribute excessive rice stocks to the people in an orderly fashion, but the Japanese blew up when the people got ornery. Some say they burned down the houses of Alberto Kaufmann and Tagle at Santol out of disgust at the looting — sort of killing the goose to cure its rheumatism.

After getting his battered 1940 Ford V8 all tuned up and ready to go, Takihara said he expected to be back in two or three months. His Filipino workers thought that quite naive even for a Japanese. The remaining navy personnel here were busy moving things about, but they could still spare a Lincoln Zephyr converted-pickup to haul three cases of Coke to the house of an officer.

Tribune: "22 Warships, transport blasted in Lingayen Gulf" — during January 8 and 10, of which 9 were sunk and 13 were disabled or set afire. "U.S. troops make little headway around San Fabian" — but they are "adjusting their lines," eh?

The water stopped flowing this afternoon though the Sotelos had a trickle. Guinto's advice to store water and firewood has the city fearing the Japanese will also blow up the electric plant. When that goes we'll be back to the cave-dwelling age.

Twenty-three B-24s passed over Manila and dropped eggs on Camp Murphy, I believe. Antiaircraft was the weakest yet. The Japanese may have been too busy blowing things up. The rumormongers were hard at work too — always well ahead of the Americans, but most people are being patient.