He expressed disappointment over the Filipino people. Some 800 American prisoners were moved one midnight this week to another place, but returned eight hours later only to find that looters had made a mess of $180,000 worth of medicines plus their meager personal belongings.

He also expressed disappointment over the action of some Santo Tomas internees. Those with canned food were able to get rich by selling it at fantastic prices. A Red Cross kit went for as high as $6,000 it seems, and women had to sell good jewelry, especially during the last days, for a little food. One man bought a little KLIM milk for his two children by signing a draft in U.S. dollars for a fantastic amount. When Japanese shelling blew off one arm of the usurer, the other asked for his draft note to be torn up or he'd rip off the usurer's remaining arm. The guy coughed up. There were many such cases, he said.

Leonard thought and spoke highly of RUPERTO KANGLEON of the Leyte guerrillas. The worthy one told MacArthur: We've guerrillas everywhere but too many men are claiming top rank and it's impossible to do a thing with them. GIVE ME FULL COMMAND and I promise to whip them into one command. Permission given, the (now General) Kangleon proceeded to do just that — by "liquidating" his chief rivals!

I sent a note via Leonard to Francis McCarthy of the Associated Press to drop in and see me.

. . . .

At the Graemigers I met a Colonel Spears of the 37th Infantry Division and one Major Wyler. Spears declined to be drawn into an argument as to who reached Manila first, but he indicated they arrived more or less simultaneously, and that, in fact, his Division had to send some help to the 1st Cavalry Division when their spearhead got cut off. He took out his map and showed us where he put up a pontoon bridge, but his description of the fighting disappointed me as far as progress was concerned. The 37th was in front of all the Pasig and crossed it to move into Paco. The 1st meanwhile was advancing southward from the East via Mandaluyong and toward Santa Ana to try and make contact with the 37th or the 8th Army Airborne coming up from Nasugbu. What disappointed me is that the Colonel indicated heavy fighting at Pandacan, which is not true, though I suspect the mortar fire today came from there. While we were talking there was a heavy explosion. He said, "Probably that's him now."

"The guy with the one-twenty?" asked the Major. The Colonel nodded, which greatly pleased the Major. I gathered the Americans had to resort to practically destroying buildings to get at the Japanese.

I forgot to ask them how many Japanese were across the Pasig, but John Leonard figured about 4,000 to 5,000. This afternoon other officers dropped by and indicated the Piper spotter planes have seen Japanese at the Admiral, Syquia and other apartments, and that these were being shelled. What a war, and what a destructive wake it's going to leave ... it's simply HORRORIFIC.

Believe it or not, we've had no mortar or artillery firing from the Japanese this afternoon. It's now 2015 and very quiet since the American batteries ceased firing an hour ago. Paco and the Walled City are dark, but there are big — very big — fires at Ermita. Shelling of Intramuros and Ermita has started again.

. . . .

continues...