The newspapers published today an order requiring the surrender of all transmitting equipment and prohibiting radio antennas. Perhaps they are suspecting that a lot of messages are being transmitted outside, particularly to Bataan. Actually, there is no need for the radio to establish communications between Manila and the troops in Bataan. USAFFE soldiers and officers are continuously infiltrating Manila, disguised as fishermen, to visit their families for a day or two, and then return to the front.
The people who are suffering most from the war, aside from the nationals of enemy countries, are the Chinese. Some say they always pay, others they always gain. The Japanese hold them in contempt since the Chinese, aside from being their strongest competitors in business, had contributed millions of pesos the past year to support China in her war against Japan. The Japanese arrested twenty or thirty of the richest Chinese, requiring them to contribute some fifteen million pesos as the first payment of their ransom. They have been dispossessed of their business establishments which are valued at fabulous amounts. From Yutivo alone, the Japanese have confiscated more than ₱6,000,000 in machines, motors, tools, etc. The small businessmen are not being molested, but they have already lost much due to the widespread looting all over the country.