Evening star., 1941-12-02
Philippines Maintain
Cease|ess War Alert
Against japanese
Flying Fortresses Reody
If Nippon Moves South;
Islands Calm, but Tense
By ROYAL ARCH GUNNISON.
~ Radio to The Star and North American
Newspaper Alliance

By ROYAL ARCH GUNNISON.
~ Radio to The Star and North Amercai
Newspaper Alliance
MANILA, p. L, Dec. 2.-The EN-
tire Far East is on war footing
and the next move is Japan's. Her
in the Philippines the United State
Army and Navy and the Filipino
troops are on war alert" "a hour
a day.
From informed sources in Singa
pore and Hong Kong this CORE
spondent learns that new contin
gents of British flyers from Eng
land have arrived at both place
10 pilot new American aircraft. Sc
cret arfieldS outside Hong Kong
connecting with satellite fields" Ii
Free China. combine 10 give Hon!
Kong air protection.
After checking with highest mill
tarv sources in Hong kong las
week and now here in the Philip
pines. il appears that if war come
the Allied strategy will be to make
every attempt 10 close the Hons
Kong Philippines bottleneck Il
japanese troop transports and ship
ping To keep Hong Kong sup
piled. Chinese troops would aic
British. Indian and Canadian
troops there to open corridor
from KoWlCon through the Japa
nese lines to Free China.
FLYING Fortresses Wait.
The Philippines would be bee
hive OF aerial activity against any
japanese movement Southvard,
If the japanese want 10 start
something" a high aviation author
itv told me. We can bomb Japanes'
cities and war oblectives from the
Philippines easier than they car
come this way in the Air. since We
have longer range, faster planes
the flying fortresses.
The American Philippine air arm
Is being strengthened daily vla
trans-Pacific flights by bombers anc
by transport of the newest pursuit
types. The air forces here are pre-.
pared. I have seen them on alert
maneuvers Compared with the
Dutch ! have seen in the Neither
lands East Indies and the British al
Singapore. Malaya and Burma. the
United States Army and Navy fly
Ing units in the Philippines take Sec
ond place TO none.
The highest Army and Navy au-
thoritleS here expect a Pacific wal
to be series of quick and heavy All
blasts like tornadoes over Japan. the
Philippines. Indo-China and Malaga
Prepare Calmly.
While tension is high in official
Philippine quarters. nevertheless
visits to United States military and
Navy headquarters find Gen. Mac
Arthur and Admiral Hart and their
staffs calmly going about the bust
ness of preparing for any eventu-
sliy," There is some difference OF
opinion among the nine American
generals and three admirals here as
to where the japanese are most like
" 10 strike-if they take the suicide
route.
The first blow is not likely TO be
directlv at the United States or
against The British General opinion
is that there will be increased polit-
ical inflltration of japanese into
Thailand and at the same time aerlsl
blows from Northern Indo-China at
the Burma road and the Yunnan-
Burma Railroad now under con-
struction. where an American vol
unteer air squadron is ready TO pro-
tect tn'orlcan war supplies being
carried over the Burma road tc
China. This squadrons presence lr
the Far East may be the spark that
will set of the war. in the light OF
Jspans Premier Tojo's remark thai
American and British exploitation
of Asiatic peoples must be ''purgeC
with a vengeance" and the constant
references in Japan's official circles
to the American international all
sque 6ron.
Two Decisions to Be Made.
The next decision seen facing
Washin~ ton concerns what America
and Br..oin would do about guar
enteeinc Thalland against ageres'
sion. Secondly. what would be tht
Anglo tmerican attitude regarding
Japaneee aoere sion in the Soviet
maritime provinces and the islanc
Of Sakhalin where there are some
oil resources?
Can an American show of strength
.,
separate the japanese from The
Axis?
Informed sources here regard thi'
as possible only if the japanese
provincial militarists are held II
check by the Emperor. Premier TojC
and the japanese Navy. 1t is no
logic that will govern the japanese
II they were logical, there would b'
no war. There are two factors be-
hind the present japanese dilemma
the provincial militarists now or
the general staff and the push ant
pull between the army and the con
kervative navy leaders.
The japanese general staff doe
rot want to fight the British ant
Americans until it sees real German
progress toward victory over Sovie
Russia. Where former Premle
Konove was unable to control tn
military. Premier TOTO can if tn
ocds against the japanese ar
proved to be great enough. Their
is a feeling here that Emperor Hlro
hito may be willing TO back out o
China, but one can never count OF
logic with the Japanese. One mus
bring fanaticism into the picture
that is why there is war alert
In the Far East.
America is now Hong Kong's onl
source for many commodities.