Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-11-14
Eyewitness Describe.
Philippines Invasion
Before Trade Board

An eyewitness OF the invasion OF
the Philippines recounted his I'M
pressions Of the landings from the
great armada and the decisive naval
battle that followed It In talk be-
fore about $500 members Of the
Washington Board of Trade last
night at the Statler Hotel.
The eyewitness was Capt. j. g.
Metzel, who was on the bridge Of
Vice. Admiral Thomas Kinka1d,s
flagship, went ashore with 1t. Gen.
Walter Kruger and accompanied
Gen. Douglas Macarthur to the
command posts in the jungle. He
also visited the city of Tacloban Just
after its liberation and witnessed,
from commanding shore position,
the crucial part of the naval battle
when the Japanese battleships en-
tered Leyte Gulf during the landing
operations.
Capt. Metzel, a member of Admiral
Kinkatd's staff, was flown back here
after the naval battle.
"Hasn't Started Yet"
He told the assemblage of WASH
in9ton businessmen what he over
heard Gen. Kreuger tell Admiral
Kinkaid when the command passed
to the general as the amphibious
operation passed from its naval to
Its military phase.
You fellows have done pretty
WE'LL" said Gen. Kruger, but the
tight hasn't started yet"
Gen. Macarthur, he said, had
gone from command post to COM
mand post In the jungle right after
the landing to brighten 'em up
and spur EN- on
He missed the ceremony at
Tacloban, he said, when Gen. Mac
Arthur installed Sergio Osmena as
President OF the Philippine Com
monwealth.
But he entered the little city
few hours later One thing most
noticeable, he said, was the number
OF children swarming around.
There must have been 10000 of
them," he said.
JapS Liked Ch1ldrcn.
Il asked about it," he continued.
" Yes the Filipinos answered. The
Japs seemed to like the children.
They let them alone. But they
more than made up for it the way
they treated the parents"
The captain smiled as he told
of coming out of one of the larger
buildings of the city with a sign
still over the windows-"Buick
Sales and Service"-to see q ire
mendous Army truck coming down
the street.
In it," he said, were 40 Filipino
kids-a band all with instruments
and they were playing God Bless
America as loud as they could. And
behind them were marching 40 more
kids singing it at the top OF their
lungs, The Japs didn't teach them
that"
To Capt. Metzel one of the most
remarkable incidents OF the in
vasion occurred during the naval
battle that followed.
THE light carriers" he said, were
attacked when their planes were
supporting Army operations ashore.
They returned to find their carriers
fighting q battle and unable to re-
ceive them. The Army was wire
leSsed that the planes would have
to come down on the airfield Just
captured. And that airfield that ex-
perts had said would take a weeks
work to ready it for pianes-was
receiving planes S. minutes later.
And out of the welter and confusion
of occupation the Army found gaso-
line and ammunition and bombs for
those planes and soon had them
back fighting"
Jap Will Run Away"
One encouraging thing was learned
in the invasion, Capt. Metzel said,
The Jap will run away. He aban-
doned many positions in the fact Of
evident greater power. And he left
much material behind"
1t. Ross E. Hoffman, U. 8. NJ. an.
other speaker, said, THE Aus
tralians, and I agree with them, are
sure that for the Jap this Is the
beginning of 100-years-war. We
must end that idea of the Japs in
thoroughly defeating them now"