Evening star., 1942-03-02
BY GEORGE WELLER,

by GEOkGE WELLEK,
Foreign Correspondent Of The Star ant
Chicago Daily News.
BANDOENG, March 2.-Cheerine
Dutch troops-white intermingled In
the comradeship of battle with Ma
layans exchanged thumbs uI
greetings with American motorized
forces wherever they passed along
Java's roads today. Both khakieo
Americans and green-clad Dutch
men were In excellent spirits, and
the cry, "Yay Teas" brought 8
quick response from even the most
Journey-wearied Americans as theil
heavily loaded trucks passed, speed
ing to the front.
Evacuees arriving in this noun
tain town from Batavia reported
hearing heavy explosions after an
air raid early yesterday, but it was
not certain whether it was the re-
suit of bombing or demolition.
Javas insular communications
system, carrying q heavy load OF
international and military mes
sages. functions more smoothly than
might be expected. The Netherlands
Indies Press Bureau continues un-
der stress to operate with the same
celerity and smoothness as hereto.
fore.
Four American correspondents
have ayailed themselves Of the bu-
reau'S services. They are two radio
broadcaSterS, William Dunn of c.
B. S. and Frank Cuhal of Mutual,
Witt Hancock of the Associated
Press and your correspondent.
BATAV1A.-T'he worlds record
for carrying human freight in
Americana built Catalina ply fly
ing boats was broken here when a
single craft belonging to the Dutch
Navy rescued So castaways on the
shores of the straits between Sing
apore and Batavia. All the rescued
had been beached after their vari-
Gus craft were sunk by Japanese
bomberS.
The British established the first
record for such rescues in Crete
when they took of 81, a figure bet
tered by the Dutch when they took
of 72 during the early days Of the
Singapore siege.
AMERICAN AIR HEADQUAR-
TIERS SOMEWHERE IN JAVA
Maj. Bud Sprague, leader of the
American f1ghter-pilots who had
been battling 10-to-1 odds over
Java's coasts a day before being
reported missing over Bali, tele-
phoned Australia a few days ago
reiterating the Netherlands Indies
urgent need for fighter aircraft.
What the reply was is still undis-
closed.
1t is pointed out that fighters
must be provided in order to give
the necessary protection to air
fields where bombers are based.
Numerous Jap reconnaissance
planes have been able in some cases
to ferret out nests and thereafter
to lead bombers on heavy raids
with the object Of preventing
American bombers from attacking
conveys.
The American officers and per-
sonnel here have received a mes
sage from Maj. Gen. H. H. Arnold
assuring them that aid will be sent
in whatever measures Is possible.
BANJOEWANGI. Opposite Bali
As dawn broke over the mountains
of Jap-occupied Bali one morning
last week Dutch patrols watching
the 2-mile strip of water separating
the Japs from Java caught sight
of a small outrigger canoe with two
paddlers and two coolies" sitting
in the bottom. After q struggle
with the currents which rush
through the passage connecting the
Indian Ocean with the Javanese
Sea, the canoe grounded and was
met by q patrol.
The paddlers were Balinese fish,
ermen, the coolies" were two Amer
lean dive-bomber pilots returned
from a visit with death.
They are 1t. Richard H. Launder
of Los Angeles and Sergt. Gunner
I. A. Lnenicha of Seattle Launder
is 81 years old, Lnenicha a year
older. They were reported lost after
a dive-bomber attack on a Jap con-
voy to Bali-the first such attack
by Army divers in this war-they
saved themselves from death and
capture by miracles.
Here Is their story as told to your
correspondent who saw their slender
winged craft loaded up with a giant
bomb and two smaller ones, a week
ago. but never expected to see the
pilots themselves again.
Our dive was perfect. We drop
ped from $4,000 feet directly on q