We accept City Hall’s assurance

Media

Part of The Republic

Title: We accept City Hall’s assurance
Language: English
Year: 1944
Subject: City halls.; Rice – Supply and demand.; Food supply.
Rights
Fulltext: PAGE 2 THE REPUBLIC: MONDAY, NOVEMBER-13, 1944 SSrpnblir r„77£,£’£L. Published Weekly by The Republic Publishing Co. Suite 28, Jai-Alai Bldg., Daitoa Ave., Manila—Tel. 2-07-56 Vol. I Monday, November 13, 1944 No. 5 SOME SUGGESTIONS Due to lack of transportation and communication facilities the prov inces, particularly the more remote ones, are now virtually inaccessible and “incommunicado” from the capital. Except for very urgent and strictly official business, there is no communication with certain areas May it not be suggested, just in case it has not yet occurred to the government authorities, that inasmuch as practically the only trans portation and communication systems are those of the military today, representations and arrangements be made with the military authori ties for mail and urgent private dispatches to be carried through military lines. Perhaps it may not be difficult to persuade the military to carry mails, say even only once a week, to military district offices and the military governors might themselves make arrangements with military garrisons to transfer such weekly mails from their capitals to provincial capitals within their respective districts. As for urgent telegraph or radio messages, would an hour a day or a few hours a week be too much to ask from the military for civilian convenience? Or perhaps the military governors might be able to pool the resources of the provinces under them so that a bus service for those provinces may be provided for jointly and the national government might pro vide the services to the military district capitals. A system like this will probably be easier for the military to accommodate than the pre sent wild-cat demand from private sources for fuel supply. Knowing how willingly the military authorities have in the past shown an incli nation to help meet the reasonable requirements of the government and the public, it is hoped any plea of this nature would not fall on deaf ears altogether. Isolation for the more remote provinces is so complete today, it is not only the public but the local governments themselves which will soon be clamoring for relief and assistance. When the national funds for purely national personnel and services in say Ilocos Norte run out, how can the government send more funds under present conditions, with no transportation facilities available from Manila to Ilocos Norte? Without such funds the local government will soon be using its own funds for national services and eventually find itself without funds for its own needs. The military governor can afford little help because he does not have funds enough available, he is himself isolated and he cannot liquidate any credits the local government may have in its favor in the National Bank in Manila. Somehow, the transfer of funds cannot be avoided. Aside from funds there are other supplies for the provinces that are fast accumulating in Manila for lack of transporta tion, all of which are urgently needed both to safeguard the public service and to meet pressing and daily giowing public needs such as medicines, for instance. That is in so far as the government itself is concerned. How about the private individual? Take an official or employee, still better situated than the ordinary private person without any official connections. He has evacuated his family to the province. Now he cannot communicate with that family nor can he send whatever little funds he may have The situation is critical and the public undoubtedly understands the government’s predicament. There has been and there will be much forbearance but some little facilities must at least be afforded to ame liorate growing difficulties and thus satisfy the people that really every ounce of effort is being put forth to help them in their plight. WE ACCEPT CITY HALL’S ASSURANCE In good faith, “The Republic” accepts the assurances of the author ities of the City that everything will turn out all right when the new harvest of rice is ready—that rice will be available at reasonable prices and in sufficient quantities to prevent anybody from starving provided, of course, that he can and is willing to pay for it or earn it and that the prices of other commodities will also come down. We quote His Honor, the Military Governor, from “The Republic of November 6: . “When the new harvest is ready, the City will be assured of an adequate supply of rice. With rice available, the rest will take care of themselves—the prices of all other foodstuffs will automatically come down.” After we have done our duty pointing out the tragic possibilities of the food situation, even at the cost of verbal abuse not only of ourselves but also of our highest officials in the Republic and high handed use of police power, having been picked up ourselves by police agents as if we were a plain, ordinary criminal or suspect,—to all of which we had to bow meekly as inevitably we suppose we all must, in these days of martial law and military governors,—we shall be the first to express sincere gratification and gratitude to the City if and when the promised relief to the miserable plight of our community comes. Our population, we are confident, join us in our prayers for the realization of the Military Governor’s hopes and of plans that we urge be made now by the City itself to insure that the City’s part of the new rice procurement scheme being worked out by the Joint Govern ment and Army Committee will not go haywire and awry. Every day this blessed assurance of relief—in December and out of the new crop—will be on the lips of a million souls until it comes. And we pray that it will not fail, for if it xyill. ... God bless us all and may He then blight the menufry of our million inhabitants who might, in their disappointment and hunger, still recall City Hall’s pro mising picture of a beautiful and bountiful December. REMEMBERING A FRIEND Roughly ten years ago, we were sojourning in Japan eager to learn everything that could be learned about that country and its people. While a guest in the Mainichi office in Osaka, we were introduced to the then Executive Editor of that great newspaper organization. We were deeply impressed by his personal knowledge of certain historic events and characters in Philippine History and he seemed interested in us. The new frienship that immediately grew out of this chance meeting, may have been responsible to a certain degree for the new interest in the history of Philippine-Japan relations that was aroused during the decade that followed. The man we met in the Mainichi was the late Masao Matsuoka, first President of the Manila Sinbun-sya. To him, let it be said as a tribute to his memory, should be given the credit for the unearthing of certain forgotten records about the part that Japan had played in our revolu tionary struggles in the past. The late Mr. Matsuoka had revealed to us the story of the “S.S. Nobiki Maru,” the ill-fated ship that had carried arms for Aguinaldo’s forces. He had taken the trouble of showing to us the place in Homoku Hill in Yokohama where Mariano Ponce, Aguinaldo’s emissary to Japan, and his life-long friend, Sun Yat Sen, had lived. Again it was through his introduction that we secured from Secretary Kobayashi of the Im perial Diet the first outline of the parliamentary story of the “S.S. Nobiki Maru” episode, which, after publication, served as basis and guide to the research work which eventually turned out the full story with all its romance, as we know it now’. We owe all these to Masao MatSuoka and many more blessings which were showered upon us, all fruits of.his vision, initiative and energy during his stay with us in the Philippines. Matsuoka’s name will be remembered long in this country. This generation will write his story with loving care while future generations will read it with affection and gratitude. New I. N. Governor Is Strongly Lauded Taiwan And P. I. War Data Summarized For Philippine Readers Attorney Pedro G. Albano, U. P. I law graduate and former deputy | provincial fiscal, has been ap pointed by President Laurel, as Provincial Governor now known as Deputy Provincial Military Gover nor, of Ilocos Norte. This appoint ment was recommended by the out going governor, M. Farolan. Speaking of Mr. Albano, Mr. Farolan declared that undoubtedly he is the very best man for the position of governor of Ilocos Norte at this time. He said that Governor Albano has both the training ai^d experience for the job and has the added advantage of knowing people and conditions in the province, having grown up in the provincial service and resided in Ilocos Norte all the time. Mr. Farolan further said that when it was known in Laoag that he was leaving the position of governor, the response in favor of Mr. Al bano’s appointment when at first suggested was universal and una- i nimous. Another appointment for Ilocos ; Norte made by President Laurel i this week, upon recommendation of ex-Governor Farolan, was that of Attorney Agripino P. Santos, as Mayor of Laoag. Mr. Santos had twice been mayor of Laoag and is energetic and capable. Mr. Faro lan also believes him to be the right man for the position at this time. Laurel Pledges.... (Continued from page 1) by respecting one another’s so vereignty and independence and practising mutual assistance and amity. “3. The countries of Greater East Asia, by respecting one an other’s traditions and developing the faculties of each race, will enhance the culture and civiliza tion of Greater East Asia. “4. The countries of Greater East Asia will endeavor to acce lerate their economic development through close cooperation upon a basis of reciprocity and promote thereby the general prosperity of their region. “5. The countries of Greater East Asia will cultivate friendly relations with all the countries of the world and work for the aboli tion of racial discrimination, the promotion of cultural intercourse throughout the world and contri bute thereby to the progress of mankind.” These principles are clear and self-evident. The primary purpose in reality is to form an Asiatic league of States in the interest of self-protection based on the re cognition of the sovereignty and political independence of the com ponent units. The objective is to unite the peoples of Greater East Asia, so that they may not remain as before mere “hewers of wood and drawers of water” of peoples of other hemispheres, and so that the peoples of the Occident may be relieved of what Kipling calls the ‘white man’s burden”. Negatively, the motive is not to establish a federation of power ful states to conquer the world or menace universal peace. The aim is not to permit the political domination or economic exploita tion of one unit by the more po werful members of the league as otherwise there would only be a substitution of masters which is neither to be desired for the rea son that there is no fundamental difference between domination or exploitation by a Western power and that by an Eastern power. Whatever difference there might be between the two, would be only in degree but certainly not in kind. No, the Philippines and the Fili pinos are against any (form of domination, political or economic, by any foreign power. Respect for one another’s so vereignty and independence, and the development of the potential and inherent faculties of each race, are the corner-stone of the historic movement of Asiatic na tions inaugurated at the confer ence of Greater East Asiatic Na tions on November 6, 1943. Only by the realization of these great ideals will the one billion peoples of East Asia be in a position to assert their personality with effi cacy, work for the abolition of ra cial discrimination and the esta blishment of a new world order based on peace, liberty and moral justice, and thereafter promote, as enunciated in paragraph (5) of the Joint Declaration, the cultural TOKYO, Nov. 10 (Domei)—A grand total of at least 209 enemy warcraft and transports have been either sunk or damaged by our Army and Navy Forces in the aerial battle in the waters off Tai wan on Oct. 12, the battle off the Philippines, and the naval and aerial battles in Leyte Gulf up to Nov. 2, according to a survey of war results compiled by the Board of Information. Of this total more than 88 enemy vessels were sunk, while 121 were damaged. The tabulation showed that 17 enemy vessels were sunk off Tai wan, more than 22 off the Philip pines and 49 in Leyte Gulf, while 28 enemy vessels were damaged off Taiwan, 28 off the Philippines and 65 in Leyte Gulf. Enemy vessels sunk were 20 air craft carriers, two battleships, one battleship or cruiser, 15 cruisers, 11 cruisers or destroyers and nine destroyers and, in addition, more than 13 transports and 17 large landing vessels. Those damaged included 24 aircraft carriers, 14 battleships, one battleship or crui ser, 13 cruisers, four cruisers or destroyers, five destroyers, 39 transports, two large landing ves sels and 19 vessels of unidentified category. Enemy naval vessels sunk or damaged in the aerial battle in the waters off Taiwan chronologically follow: On Oct. 12, four aircraft car riers were sunk, while one aircraft carrier and 11 enemy vessels of un identified category were damaged. On Oct. 13, three aircraft car riers, and one cruiser or destroyer were sunk, while one aircraft car rier and one cruiser were damaged. On Oct. 14, three aircraft car riers, two battleships and three cruisers were sunk, while two air craft carriers, two cruisers, one cruiser or destroyer and two ves sels of unidentified category were damaged. On Oct. 15, one aircraft carrier was sunk and three aircraft car riers and one cruiser were dam aged. On Oct. 16, one aircraft carrier and one battleship were damaged. The total war results scored by the Nippon forces follow: Seventeen enemy naval vessels sunk, including 11 aircraft car riers, two battleships, three crui sers and one cruiser or destroyer. Twenty-eight were damaged, in cluding eight aircraft carriers, two battleships, four cruisers, one crui ser or destroyer and 13 vessels of unidentified category. The results achieved in the naval and aerial battles in the Philip pines sector chronologically follow:On Oct. 20, two aircraft carriers were damaged when an enemy task force was attacked in the waters east of the Philippines. On Oct. 24, one aircraft carrier was sunk and four aircraft car riers and two cruisers were dam aged when an enemy task force was subjected to an attack in the waters east of the Philippines, while four transports were sunk by a submarine attack. On Oct. 25, four aircraft car riers, three cruisers, and three desI troyers were sunk and two aircraft | carriers and* three cruisers or des| troyers were damaged when our {fleet attacked an enemy task force in the waters east of the PhilipI pines, one aircraft carrier and one I cruiser sunk and two aircraft car| riers and one battleship damaged i in an attack on the enemy task force b- the Kamikaze Special At tack Corps, and one aircraft car rier and one destroyer sunk by our submarines. On Oct. 28, one aircraft carrier was sunk and one damaged in an attack by the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps. On Oct. 29, one aircraft carrier, one cruiser and two vessels of un identified category were damaged by the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps. On Oct. 30, one aircraft carrier was sunk and two aircraft car riers and one battleship damaged by the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps. On Nov. 1, one cruiser was sunk, while one battleship, one battleship or cruiser, one cruiser and one des troyer were damaged by the Kami kaze Special Attack Corps. The total follows: Twenty-two enemy vessels were sunk, including nine aircraft carriers, five cruisers, four destroyers and more than four transports. Twenty-eight vessels were damaged, including 14 air craft carriers, three battleships, four cruisers, three cruisers or destroyers, one battleship or crui ser, one destroyer and two vessels of unidentified category. The war results gained by our naval forces in Leyte Gulf chro nologically follow: From Oct. 19 to Oct. 25, six transports, two cruisers, one des troyer and 17 large landing vessels were sunk, while 18 transports, one cruiser, one destroyer and three vessels of unidentified category were damaged. On Oct. 27, one transport was sunk and one battleship, one crui ser, one transport and one vessel of unidentified category were dam aged by the Kamikaze Special At tack Corps. On Oct. 28, two transports were damaged. On Nov. 1, one battleship or cruiser and three cruisers were sunk and three battleships dam aged. Between Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, one transport, one cruiser and three destroyers were sunk. The total war results obtained by our forces in Leyte Gulf follow: Forty-nine enemy naval vessels sunk, including nine transports, seven cruisers, five destroyers, 17 large landing vessels, ten cruisers 'or destroyers and one battleship or cruiser. Sixty-five enemy naval vessels were damaged, including 30 transports, five cruisers, four destroyers, two large landing ves sels, two aircraft carriers, nine battleships and four vessels of un identified category. The grand total shows a figure of 209 naval vessels sunk or dam aged in the three areas, Taiwan, the Philippines sector and Leyte Gulf, from Oct. 12 to Nov. 2. intercourse with the entire world and contribute thereby to the. pro gress of mankind. The ideals enunciated in the Joint Declaration (which I have read may perhaps meet obstruc tions or objections in the minds of those people who can only see the light coming from the West and are highly influenced on this account by their political, economic and social background. There can be no doubt, however, about the wholesomeness and validity of the principles laid down in this great Pacific Charter. It is to be la mented that the forces of greed and prejudice, ignoring these eter nal verities, ■ have plunged the world into the most savage con flict it has ever known. But if humanity is to be saved, it must be made to grasp, understand and follow the divine principles of right, equality, and justice. The Joint Declaration is the cross of faith, as it were, with which the one billion peoples of Greater East Asia offer to redeem a war-torn and bleeding world. I am indeed very happy on this occasion to join in the celebration of this great day for the peoples and nations of Greater East Asia, and to have been able to jfledge, on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines, my support and ad herence to the principles contained and embodied in that great Char ter. I thank you. Manila's.... (Continued from page 1) hot dog, and even “genuwine” rice and viands, including “dinuguan.” (It is rumored that “dinuguan” comes mostly from slaughtered cats and dogs.) If you want stockings or polo shirts, or textiles still uncut, or books, or newspapers, etc.,-you can get them from the sidewalks. If you want corn, rice, camotes, vegetables, jewelry, or a new pair of wooden shoes or shoes, the side walk is the place for you. If you want to gamble, play “beto-beto” or poker for instance, the sidewalk will give it to you. The sidewalk industry is omni present, and well-nigh omnipotent. It is the hotbed of the black mar ket. Still it is a market and, in the absence of any substitute, everybody tolerates it.