MANILA AN INFERNO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 December 1941, Page 5

MANILA AN INFERNO

UNDER RAIN OF JAPANESE BOMBS DEVASTATION IN POOR QUARTERS. MANY CHURCHES BURNING. NEW YORK, December 28. Filipino police, the only defenders left in Manila, rushed through the bomb-ravaged, burning city early today hunting for Japanese parachutists who are reported to be swooping down in an attempt to prepare the way for the invading armies. The second day of air assaults left Manila an inferno of burning churches, homes and office buildings. Many persons lay dead in the debris. In a last desperate attempt to get the Japanese to honour the declaration that Manila is an open city, all ships were hauled from the harbour and four were reported to have been scuttled. Today’s bombing was a repetition of yesterday’s in ruthlessness and havoc. One blaze swept through the slum area in the walled city, destroying the homes of 1000 Filipino labourers and Chinese, who trudged through the streets dragging their children and household possessions with them. In the attack on Manila three divebombers machine-gunned and bombed the evacuees’ Camp Murphy on the north-eastern outskirts of the city. The United Press reports that Major Reyes, of the Philippines army, before the first big air raid, decided to rescue army funds from the Treasury building. He had loaded the funds on a cai' when the first bomb fell, smashing the Treasury building, destroying the car, and killing the Major. The Japanese met with no opposition from the open city. Tokio radio stated that the War Office spokesman, after announcing that the’ Japanese forces would not consider their actions in any way restricted by such unilateral announcements as the American declaration of Manila as an open city and would proceed to carry out attacks on war objectives, said that nothing, however, would be done “even remotely resembling the American massacre of innocent Japanese nationals shortly before the Japanese occupied Davao.” JAPANESE AIM ATTEMPT TO TAKE MANILA BEFORE NEW YEAR. NEW YORK, December 28. The Tokio radio said that the Domei agency declared tonight that the Japanese forces in the Philippines will concentrate their main efforts on attempting the capture of Manila before the New Year.