Evening star., 1942-02-12

Of gunfire which plays intermittent
| ly, night and day, around Manila
Bay.
The new guns have not been 10
Gated yet, but it is believed they may
be some 6-incherS which the jap
anese announced over the radio were
being set up on Dewey boulevard in
Manila, near the Polo Club.
The broadcast said the guns would
be test-flred last night and told Ma
nila's residents not to be alarmed.
The guns may have been fired in the
| direction OF Corregidor, but the
shells did not reach the fortress,
which is beyond their range.
The recent shelling Of Corregidor
and the other American forts guard
ing the entrance to Manila Bay by
Japanese guns on the southern
shore of the bay failed to cause any
casualties or damage. Corregidor is
unscratched and work goes on as
usual.
Watch Duel With Interest.
The soldiers and sailors in the
fortress watch with interest the
spectacular artillery duels between
the japanese guns, apparently loss
and 6-inchers, and the other Ameri-
can forts, especially Fort Drum,
which is closer to the southern shore
of the bay.
Drum, the favorite target of the
japanese, is a solid rock in the shape
of battleship, and shells which hit
nearby and send up huge geysers of
water add further to the illusion of
a naval battle.
The fire from Drum and the other
forts apparently has been extremely
effective, for the japanese shelling
has lessened considerably. The Jap
anese usually fire only in the morn
ing, when the sun is directly behind
them and thus makes observation
and location of the gun flashes diff
cult.
In addition to these exchanges,
the American 155S on Bataan
pound the japanese front lines at
frequent intervals. At night the ex-
plosion of their shells Is audible
throughout the battle area, as is the
firing along the eastern coast of
Bataan, where the japanese have
mounted 75s on barges, which try to
sneak down the shoreline and shell
the coast road.
Filipinos Reported Executed.
Authoritative advices from Manila
reported today that japanese efforts
to win the friendship of the Fill
pinos are failing miserably in the
fare of widespread hunger and their
mistreatment of the people.
At least 10 and possibly 20 Fill
pinos are said to have been exc
cuted in old Fort Santiago, formerly
the headquarters of Gen. MacAr-
thur, for opposing the japanese Uc-
cupation forces. Their bodies after
ward were thrown into Manila Bay,
according to information reaching
here.
This Is the situation they describe:
Filipinos formerly employed by the
American Army and Navy are roped
to telephone poles along the main
streets of Manila. For three days
and nights they are held there, vir-
tually without food and kicked and
slapped by passing japanese sem
tries.
If, at the end of this period, the
Japanese find them guilty" of as
sisting Americans, they are executed.
Otherwise they are released.
Two high officials of the Philip
pine Supreme Court-Judge Arsenic
Locson and Judge Gregorio Mar
vasa-were trussed up publicly in
this fashion and released only after
several hours, when the japanese
apol0gized for their ."miStake."
Agents Are Active.
Pro-Japanese agents are said to
be extremely active, principally the
Sakdalistas and Ganaps, members
Of Filipino parties which long have
agitated for freedom from Ameri-
can rule. They point out suspects
to the Japanese sentries.
When these agents fail to turn in
any suspects, they are themselves