Evening star., 1945-03-27
Letters to The Star
Army Engineer Tells IMPRESSIONS
Of the Philippines

Army Engineer Tells IMPRESSIONS
Of the Philippines
To the Editor Of The Star:
The following letter from young
cousin Of mine in an engineering regi-
ment seems OF more than personal in
terest. Hence I am sending 1t to you.
MRS. E. q. SALISBURY.
The text of the communication thus
offered reads:
We are allowed now to say that we
are in combat somewhere in the Philip
pines President Roosevelt said that
If any one wished to know why we
fight: "Let him look at Norway" In
the Pacific war I can say in all truth:
Let him look at the Philippines" We
have many opportunities to talk with
the local civilians, and their descriptions
OF Japanese oppression make one ap-
preciate once more the inestimable value
Of freedom. I had particularly in
teresting conversations withsa Filipino
grade school teacher, mathematics
teacher in local high school and
sixth-grade teacher "a gentleman by
the way, all Of whom spoke English
rather well. But from Filipinos every
where the story is the same: Their prod
uce confiscated, their labor enslaved,
their economy shambles from gross
imitation, their schools closed, and en-
forced submission to arrogant, domi-
neering Japanese who required civilians
to bow before them. Censorship pre-
vents my describing atrocities. Suffice
it to say that here Is epitomized all for
which we fight. The difference between
our system of government and society
as compared with the Japanese is the
difference between day and night. To
find similar parallels one would have to
go back to the Dark Ages. Had the
Japanese won the war, the progress of
humanity in the past 1000 years might
well have gone for naught.
The Filippinos' fear of the Japs stands
in great contrast to their absolute trust
in us. Their kids swarm all over our
vehicles and hang around camp for
candy and gum. The civilians, male and
female, walk with no fear and real
friendliness through our camps. The
men lend more than willing hand
with our supplies. Moving up in our
trucks, I could hear ahead cries of:
Victory! Victory!" The volume in
creased till we passed many Filipinos
lining the road with their fingers FORM
ing the universal sign of the "V" and
their voices chorusing: Victory"
EiIipiuor TnvaJ IN Arnar;,,
The homes of the Filipinos are built
up on stills for protection against the
rainy season. can stand underneath
the houses. They are built largely of
bamboo and look rather fiimsy. The
land is highly cultivated, the water
buffalo being the principal beast Of
burden for plowing and hauling. Rice,
bananas, coconuts, papayas, camotes,
tobacco and Chinese oranges seem to
be the principal crops. Corn and to-
matoes also are raised. The enthusiasm
Of the Filipinos for education is marked.
Their educational system, prior to the
Japanese occupation. compared very IA
vorably with that of many States in
the United States The vast majority of
the Filipinos are loyal to the Philip
pine democratic government and to the
United States of America. The japanese
publications printed ridiculous stories
of American reverses, but the Filipinos
often learned the truth through the
underground.
We have seen many Filipino guer-
rillas. They were very well organized
while the Japanese were here. They
have given our troops invaluable service.
We are allowed how to write of per-
sonal experiences, but I have had no
outstanding ones. There have been sew
eral tense nights, when the crack of a
rifle or the rat-a-tat of a machine gun
would put us all on the aleart, ready
in our foxholes with loaded rifles. One
night was on watch when firing broke
out about 40. In the morning I saw
the result-a dead Jap a hundred yards
away. He was pretty much of a mess.
But the fellows really dishing it out
and taking it, too-are the infantry
They deserve more credit than any
corps in the army.
The news from Europe is excellent as
it is on this side of the world. The Axis
powers are in bad way and one might
say that it is the beginning of the end.
Home and peace would look pretty won-
derful. But there is not the slightest
doubt in my mind that, had we not
stopped them, the Japanese would have
carried out their wicked designs and
what happened here in the Philippines
would have happened in Sydney, Homo
lulu, San Francisco and Hibbing 0home
town.. Voltaire knew what he was talk
ing about:
Eternal vigilance is the price of
freedom" RICHARD MURPHY.
The Philippine Islands.