Evening star., 1942-01-25

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Over Rangoon, hard-bitten
American and British pilots
blasted an entire Japanese
bomber formation and four of
its escorting fighters out of the
skies, to raise to 80 their two
day bag of raiding planes.
Over Malaga, where British i'm
perial troops were making their de-
fensive stand along a contracting
front generally 10 miles from Singa-
pore, r. A. r. squadrons struck at
japanese troop and transport con-
centrations well beyond the battle
line.
There was one pessimistic note in
yesterdays news, however, as fight
ing in the Philippines reached a
critical phase, with japanese war
ships of the China Sea coast Of
Batan Peninsula shelling Gen.
Douglas MacArthur's defending
forces and fresh enemy troops push
ing them back at a number Of
points.
Not q Ship Lost in Raid.
The surprise raid on the convoy in
the Macassar Straits was so sue
cessful that not ship was lost. In
fact, the Navy said, only four men
were injured, and only one of
those seriously.
Location of the action meant, ap-
parently, that this japanese invasion
fleet was the same which Dutch
Army planes have had under their
bombsights twice in 48 hours. The
latest Dutch attack, in which q large
transport was capsized and two
other ships were hit, made the score
II ships hit without the loss of a
single plane, and was one of a series
of striking Allied aerial operations.
The Macassar attack resulted in
the greatest damage to enemy YES
sells since the Navy's announcement
on January Is that units of the
Asiatic fleet had sunk five vessels,
including two large cargo ships, two
large transports and one medium
sized transport. The new action
brought to total of at least 43
the number of enemy vessels listed
as destroyed.
AS to the Philippine situation, the
War Department reported that
under cover of the warships the
Japanese were landing additional
troops on the western coast of Batan
in an attempt to roll back the Amer
ican-Filipino left flank and perhaps
also to inflltrate behind the de-
tenders main line.
Jap Atrocities Charged.
Despite this obviously perilous
situation, Gen. Macarthur found
time to forward the War Depart
ment advices of Japanese atrocities
against prisoners, reporting specific
ally that Filipino had been found
with his hands bound and his body
bayonetted.
This, 1t was noted, was a fragrant
violation of international agree
ments to which Japan Is a party
concerning treatment Of prisoners.
The War Department added:
However foully the enemy may
act, the general states that he will
abide by decent concepts of hu-
manity and civilization"
Heavy losses on both sides were
reported by the War Department
in summing up the situation. And,
it added that although fatigued
from constant fighting, the Amer
lean and Filipino soldiers continued
a stubborn resistance, and, by fierce
colnterattacks had recaptured some
of their lost positions.
But the enemy held to some points
won from the defenders, and its
numerical superiority was constant
ly increasing. Reinforcements were
landing at Subic Bay, close by Gen.
MacArthur's left flank, where, the
Army said, the Japanese attacks
were heaviest.
Grave Apprehension.
All In all, the communique aroused
grave apprehension here as to how
long Gen. MacArthur's men might
be able to continue their resistance.
The departments. announcement
contained no note of optimism,
other than that "the enthusiasm,
courage and devotion" of the men
was "undiminished."
But in a war of machines, this is
not enough, and the Capital was
prepared for the worst.
Conjecture grew, meanwhile, as
to what the next move of Gen. Mac
Arthur might be. 1t was generally
expected that he had q skillfuu
trick or two left.
When 1t became impossible TO de-
(see FAR EAST, Page AID