Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-05-06
War Today
Philippines Fate
A Mystery Since
. Correqjdor Fell
By REUEL : MOORE
United Press >taH Correspondent

United Press >taH Correspondent
THE FORTUNES Of war have
been steadily on The mend fol-
America since they reached
their low point with the collapse
Of resistance on The island fart.
reSs Of CorrcCidor IN Mania
Bay. one year ago toda>
Then the tides of l5panr-G
conquest were running power
fully 70 tho south. anG - SrCwra
inevitable that thCy would soon
be tapping Al The northern
shores Of Australia Now, that
tide appears definitely 70 have
been stenmed by The Coral Sea
and Midway victories occupa-
ton Of Guadalcapai and nearby
islands, naval successes ln me
waters surrounding the solo
mons. the conquest ct Tapua
and the brilliant forayS of The
Alfred arr forces.
The United States has been
committed. meanwhile. 90 exert
ING its major effort against The
Axis in Europe. French North
Africa was occupied and The
cleanup Of AXIS forces IN TunI-
STA seems imminent Tho next
logical step would he grand
scale Allied invasion Of Hitler
fortress OF Europe
IT WAS AIS P. m, May =
1912. when the war department
announced that CorreEidor had
finally fallen after stout resist
ance 10 overwhelming force.
Among the prisoners was II.
Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, vino
had succeeded 10 command of
L. s. forces in the Philippine
when Gen. Macarthur was
ordered 10 run the japanese
blockade and establish head
quarters in Australia.
News that the last outpost RI
American power IN the Far
East had gone under was re-
ceived in a final message from
Cpl. Irving Suobing, sos Bar
hey. Brooklyn, n. y. Corregidor
radio operator.
THE jig is up, every one is
bawliBg like a baby" StrOblnG
said.
ABOUT 1880 L. 6. Army
and between $500 and 1000 l..
6. Navy personnel, and approx
mately 1850 Philippine scouts
were listed as missing after
Bataan and Corregidor fell,
along with thousands Of mem
bers of the Philippine Common
wealth Army.
The u. s. Army has been APP
prised by Japan. through the
international Red Cross, of the
identity of about 1900 Ameri-
can prisoners of war captured
in the Philippine campaign
Most Of the prisoners are sui
held in the Philippines. though
many of the officers have been
transferred 10 Taiwan, Formosa
These prisoners have received
some parcels from the Rcd
Cross, and there has been slow
and limited exchange Of prison
ers' mail. The Red Cross sue
ceeded in sending in quantities
OF parcels on exchange ships.
Most Of the parcels were dis
tributed in China and Japan, al
though some reached the Philip
pines and were distributed 10
military prisoners and civilian
internees.
1T Is believed that American
prisoners in the Philippines have
not, on the whole. been mis-
treated, although the japanese
radio reported that 3 L. :.
Army and Navy personnel and
seven British sailors had been
punished because they had posed
as civilians when captured. All
those held. however. military
and civilians. are believed 10 be
suffering the hardShips OF a
scanty and inadequate dict.
From time 10 time. reports
have reached here Of scattered
guerilla resistance still flicker
ing in the mountains Of Min
danao and Luzon. But these
meager reports have only ac-
cented the great blackneSS which
enveloped the islands when the
hardy defenders Of CorrCCdor.
disesso-ridden and StarvlnC,
finally hauled down their 6ac