Evening star., 1943-06-02
They Call It Pacific
by CLARK LEE:

/ but it was no great surprise. had
felt guilty about planning to leave
the Orient at time when tension
was growing so great that some
thing had to snap soon.
had been in the Orient three
years but this was my first visit to
the Philippines, and I was anxious
to determine how the attitude of
Americans toward the Filipinos con-
trasted with that of the BritonS
in Hong Kong and Shanghai toward
the Chinese. My first experience
was not reassuring.
The night before the Coolidge
sailed, a small group of us went to
the modern chromium, steel, and
glass Jai Alai building and after
ward stopped in at the Manila
Hotel tap room for nightcap. The
only other customer was an Ameri-
can woman who had taken about
fourteen whiskies beyond her limit.
After 2 am, the legal closing
time, she demanded another drink.
A sergeant of the Philippine con-
stabulary, who was assigned to the
bar to see that the law was obeyed
told her politely that the boys were
not allowed to serve her.
She turned on him in blazing
fury and poured forth insult after
insult. The words were imprint
able, but the general tenor was:
We Americans are the ruling race
here You Filipinos are dirt" She
struck the sergeant in the face
with her clenched fist, and tried to
tear the badge from his uniform
blouse. We could see him fighting
to control himself, and he did.
Finally the walters took the woman
to her room.
Roberto Mujica Lainez shook his
head sadly And you have been
telling me. my amigo, that the Chi
nese in Hong Kong and the ma
tiyes in Malaga and Burma will
not fight for the British when war
comes. because the British have
mistreated them and have offered
them nothing. Now you are aware
why Argentina says No when the
United States asks for naval bases.
I didn't answer, except to walk
over and ask the constabularyman
his name He told me he was Ser
geant Hllario Francisco. I shook
hands with him and congra tulated
him on the way he had conducted
himself.
When I walked back Roberto said
We'll. maybe that was an isolated
incident and most Americans feel
the way you do. I know your coun-
try has given the Filipinos schools
and hospitals and improved their
economic status. Maybe they will
be loyal to you and fight for you
after all"
Next day from my room In the
Manila Hotel I watched the Cool
idge sail out OF the harbor with
the tropical afternoon sun shining
brightly on the red, white, and blue
, insignia painted on the sides and
funnel of the ship. While the Cool
ldge grew smaller and smaller in
the distances of the bay and finally
passed out of sight around Cor
regidor, I read the headlines in the
evening newspapers:
TOTO Declares Japan Zone Ball of
Fiery Resolution Against Democ-
racieS.
U. S Admiral Says Navy Can Sink
Jap Fleet in Three Weeks.
HullKuruso Negotiations Still
Deadlocked
If there was any hope of avoiding
war between the United States and
Japan it wasn't evident in the head
lines. The Philippines would OBJ
vlouslv be one of Japan's first tar
gets. and I set out TO learn how we'll
the islands were defended.
A number of correspondents had
been in the Philippines for varying
lengths of time and with them !
discussed the vulnerability of the
islands. The Coolidge had Just
brought in several thousand Amer
ican soldiers-its second such trip
and the consensus was that "there
are some three divisions of Amer
lean troops here about 10000 men.