Evening star., 1945-10-31
Gen. Woinwrieht's Own Story:
Cen Wonwishts Own Story
Jops March Men Of Corrreeidor Through Monilo
Streets to Prison Comps as Wainwright Watches
fTtDenty-ftth o ia Series.)
BY GEN. JONATHAN M.
WAINWRIGHT.


came into my room, armed with
aides and an interpreter and briskly
began:
"Now! You will tell us where you
buried the money" It was not q
request. 1t was demand.
I told him we had destroyed $140,-
100000 in Philippine government
paper money which had been en-
trusted to us.
THAT is lie; you buried 1t on
Bataan!" he shouted. Nov, where?"
But after long and repetitious
time convinced him that If there
was any money buried on Bataan
1t was in trivial amounts buried by
divisional finance officers. He be-
came visibly upset because, I learned
later, the Japs were then In the
process of retiring all United States
and Philippine government cur
rency and issuing worthless paper
money of their own-invasion cur
rency.
well, now, the silver currency"
the colonel demanded at length.
This you have buried in Manila
Bay. Where?"
1T don't know" said.
They kept after me for long
time on this. "I don't know 80
don't know" finally said with great
weariness. Il had nothing to do
with burial. All I know is that it
was taken out to sea and dumped.
God knows where"
New Questions Begun.
And after some interminable per-
iod, the subject was dropped for that
day. Then new questions were di-
rected at me by an officer from
Homma's tactical section.
He wanted to know what I thought
of the caliber of Jap troops. I told
him what I sincerely believed, even
made it up in the form of a memo
randum at his request. This was my
memorandum:
ITO whom it may concern:
Having been requested by jap
anese military authority to record
my impressions of the Japanese
Army the following is submitted:
"(a) Higher commanders and SEN
ior staff officers-Ef11cient, well
trained, tenacious of purpose and
possessed of high degree of mill
tary education.
"Cb) Subordinate officers and SOL
diers-Physically fit, vigorous, brave
and determined to degree that
verges on fanaticism. Well trained,
possessed of a high degree of in
dividual initiative; not very good
rifle shots, and supplied with an in
sufficient amount of ammunition to
carry on prolonged fire fight without
replenishment. Junior officers and
men seem to be able to maintain
themselves in the field with min
imum of organizational and individ
ual equipment, a characteristic that
American and European armies
might well emulate.
"(c) Field artillery and aviation
Very active, very efficient and very
accurate in fire and bombing, as
was amply demonstrated on Ba-
taan and Corregidor.
"(d Equipment-Viewed from our
standards, most of the japanese
equipment looks crude, but it is
undoubtedly efficient and is amply
provided. I do not think much Of
the infantry rife. 1t is too long, too
small in caliber and too slow in
action. A semiautomatic rifle is far
superior to it.
"(e) General have observed the
Japanese Army to be a highly Or
ganized, efficient and well-trained
body, capable of prolonged action
with an ample supply of all mill
tary necessities"
Told Nothing of Value.
The new questioners were eager
to learn everything about our dis
positions on Bataan and our hoped
for prolonged defense of Correg-
idor. Naturally I told them moth
ing of any military Importance.
They asked me if I had esti-
mated where their final attack
would fail on Bataan, and I told
them I had, and gave them the
obvious answer, that the Bataan
terrain was more suitable for attack
on that side of the peninsula de-
Tended by Maj. Gen. George M
Parker's II Corps.
My answers about our defense
plans became so noncommittal aftel
time that they turned away from
me in disgust and went to work or
Brig. Gen. Lewis Beebe, who wa
just as airy in his replies. They
met their stupendous stumbling
block, however, in Maj. Tom Dooley
my aide.
5"I dunno" Tom would say, and
sometimes vary it with Dam If
know" or Nobody ever told me
anything about that" In sheer
evaporation the Jap colonel finally
got very red in the face and bawled
Il don't see how anybody as
stupid as you can be an aide to a
general! You don't know anything!'
The Japs stomped out of the
room and we had our first chuckle
In weeks.
Many Idle Periods.
Questioning took up a consider
able part of our days at Manila, but
there were idle periods when we
were left to our own devices, left tc
our own thoughts of our homes on
the other side of the earth, tc
thoughts of the men and nurses still
on Corregidor whose position was
made so terribly precarious by the
determination of few hot heads on
Negros.
My roommate, Beebe, and I, al
well as Pugh, Dooley, Carroll ano
my staff men who drifted back from
their surrender appeal missions, goi
up each morning at $3.50 am. ano
were served with a modest break.
fast, which later would have looked
like a kings feast.
After breakfast we were allowed
to go up on the roof of the Uni
yersity Club and walk around fol
80 minutes. When we were re-
turned we could read or play cards
If there were no questioning. The
clubs old library had been virtually
untouched by war, but it was harC
to concentrate on books. The estate