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November 5, 1944

Jerry and Charles and I talked of Oura’s bellowing rampage at roll call, making Kaito lose face. It goes back to yesterday when
Yamato told Carl he wasn’t doing roll call right—he was walking too far ahead of Yamato which was an insult. Carl asked him how he wanted it done and they talked around and around, getting nowhere. Yamato said Carl must be responsible and yet do it such and such a way, Carl finally said if the Command wasn’t satisfied with the way he was doing it, he was only too happy to have the Command come out and take it himself. Yamato, who wants all sorts of bowing and scraping, misinterpreted as usual and this morning the Command showed the results of it. He stormed and raged all over the parade ground, went into the barracks to see if any were hiding out, stomped about in there, then out to the Administration building where he raked Masaki over the coals. But it is not really Oura, it is little snake-in-the-grass Yamato who is fairly bursting with his own importance.

Jerry has made inventory of all our supplies, taking the kids into his confidence, mapping out how it must be used, how long it must last etc.

The doctors have a two thousand peso fund to spend for certain sick ones. They can allow P25 or even P200 a month to some if they feel it necessary. This is one glimmer of concession and light. Two malnutrition deaths may have scared the Japanese, if anything could. June is very listless; Bedie goes to bed early, Jerry says. They are all so hungry. In answer to Jerry’s message sent out sub rosa, Marie sent in Benguet coffee beans which will make about 2 pounds of ground coffee. We can drink it or trade it for peanuts.

Jerry  says he will work to earn those two camotes a day as long as he is able and they continue to pay it. He wonders how much longer he can keep going some days. We go on from day to day as unemotionally as possible, as unfeeling as we can keep.