They call it Pacific [book review]

Title

Suez to Singapore [book review]

Creator

Lee, Clark

Brown, Cecile

Identifier

Philippine Bookshelf

Language

English

Source

Philippines 3 (4) June 15, 1943

Year

1943

Subject

Books—Reviews

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

A book review authored by Clark Lee and Cecile Brown. The book by Lee done an outstanding job of careful straight-from-the-shoulder reporting in the best tradition
of the American press. While the book of Brown is, on the whole uncomfortable and yet absorbing reading. It is a day to day account of the ten months he spent as a foreign correspondent to Columbia Broadcasting System.

Fulltext

r PHILIPPINE BOOKSHELF THEY CALL IT PACIFIC. B_; Cl.irk Lff. Sc"· )"ork: The 1'.'i:.'1:3 Prc.<.f. i<l-13. -~-.; f'I'· 53.00. SUEZ TO SINGAPORE. B." Cc.-;! Brot<ll. Seu· Yori:: J.i..11:./,-.,_;i Ha:f.•c. i 9..i:l. 5-15 Pt'· 53.-50. THE \\!HOLE world is no\\- .1ware of the f.iu clue th<.: Filipi;ios were the on!~- people li,·ing under an alien Jb_s '.••ho i,»u~ht ~lnd arc still fighting against che Axis. Th<.· )tp.u-.es~ invasion of the Sourhwesr Pacific was not onll' ,\ resr <'t arms. lr is now abundanch- clear char ic was als~ .1 wei_shini; of che colonial policies ~f rhe western powers. Th<:Se cwo recent books--one telling rhe srory of the br;l\"C resisrance oi the Philippines and chc ocher about rhe colbpse of Malaya-tescify on how America's policy was \'~llidJt(-J. Ix HIS book Lee has done an outstanding job of careful. srraighdrom-che-shoulder reporcing in che best cradicion of che American press. He recaptures rhe reality of the people who lived che glories and cragedies of war-the scuff rhac che censors had carved out of che news stories he cabled from Manila and Corregidor. lee gives the facts as he saw chem or gor them from eye witnesses wirh a directness and an underscanding of rheir significance char recreates che scene in all ics inccnsiry. In spice of rhe confusion arising from the country's unpreparedness for war, che Filipinos fought valiantly and never doubted ro rhe end that help was indeed coming. The assurance of che American officers was enough. "'Hold everything, Joe," these American officers would say, "Those Japs aren't too tough. Our help will be here any day now. You know me and you can reuse me when I rell you rhat. lee's lick hell out of chem." IT IS A different srory that Cecil Brown tells. In Singapore, an Indian leader says, "We are ready to fight and die for the defense of Malaya, but we wane to be sure that you British also are ready to fight and die for this country." But Lee's is a story nor alone of the magnificent scand of rhe Filipinos and the Americans against rhe neverending flood of Japanese rroops. Before he came to Manila, Lee had already watched the Japanese war machine in action against China for several years. He had come to know many of the Japanese milicary men, their ambitions and plans. And after he escaped from rhe Philippines, he covered rhe Battle of the Coral Sea, the landing on Guadalcanal, riding bombers and aircraft carriers through rhe Southwest Paci.fie. He cells of his escape from Corregidor on the Doiia Nari; of what he saw in Australia, New Calc-donia, New Zealand, and Pearl Harbor. JUNE 15, 1943 IN ONE of tht· dosing p.i>s.1gcs l.<:<: 1.clls of .1 sn:ne which he.· hnpcs tt' h\'t> long enllugh ro wirnc:ss: "I w.1nt to be there Whl'n c;t'lll'ral Dol1gl.1~ J\1.1!.. ;\r1hur r~1iscs rl1c AmcrH .. lll J\.11: tlHT Cnrrcgido~ a~.1111 .• 11111 1h<:n h.n1b 1t d1>wn '"'d wi~h lus ''""" h'.tnd r.1i~cs cht· JI".~ 11[ 1he Rcpuhht of cht· Ph1lippinl'>. the >yml11ll 11f .1 n.ui11n "hid1 won Jt5 right 111 life bv lcarnrn~ ho\\ co >ulkr .1nJ how 10 el1c · Cecil .Rrnwn i; .H.:id 111 lns lru1<.i ... n1s of the Bricish ll\·tl .ind milit.iry nllici.1ls 1n Sing.1porc .ind i\l.d.I\ .1. l k r<:coun1s doo1nil\' thl'1r I.11..k l)f hin:sight. rh<:tr t.irl{1rn .... .., i11 mdit.1n· }'rl'ri.1r.L.li~Hl. .ind tl1C1r pbl il.( .l~sur.1nce tli.tr ''.tr w1n1ld n11r con1e ro the F.tr EJSL Jlc point... PUC the lktu.r<i: tif rh.: Bnmh policy to\\ ,11,! the pwpk' ol 1\>1,1 ,inei rdb <>f rhc 1.:cnu.il l.1tk of confidence of tiK>c· pC'npks 111 1hc llriti,J, 1\lrnosc the only r<:lid in hi; othuwise un1l.trtl"T1np pit111rc llf thl' Bru[sh is hh ldll'LlllC .1pprn1.1!111n ol rhc: ~.dl.nH 1..our.1,!!C uf rlic Briti:-.h .ind 1\u..,rr.il1.111 .Lt1''. Iill.l1.1n fi.dum!.! men. BRO\'\.'N's book is. on thC' whuk u11u•mh1rr.1blc: .1nel yet absorbing reading. le is a d.1y tu J.iy .H.ltllllU tlf rht: rcn months he spent as a foreign corrc~pondcnt tor C11lurnb1.1 Broadcasting System. Airer t·supin;: from Gc-rnun-cun· quered Yugoslavia, Brown 111.id<: his w.1y ro C.1irn whue he arrived in May 19,i I. He wwrcd !lit· Free F rr·nc h .111el British campaign against the \'1t"h)" Frt·n<h Ill Syri.1 .. rnd made a shore visit co ch<: front "f th<: British hghch Army in che W <:srern D<:>erc of Egypt. Brown was chen aS>igned ro Singapore where he m.1de his headquarccrs until :1bour three weeks before its fall in February 194~. His d<:cailed .iccouncs of his never-ending rnntliccs wirh rhe British censors are interesting. buc do nor quite convince the reader char rhe writer was invari.1bly right. The author's description of accual scenes are aliYe wich accion. His account of the sinking of che Prince of W"le.r and the Repulse. which he witnessed from the deck of che larcer ship, is so vivid char one can sec the Japanese bombers in formation overhead, and can hear rhe roar of che diving planes and the dull crash of torpedoes. These passages are the literary cream of a book which is subscancial and consistently inreresring throughout. -W.B.C. -H.M.R. Opinions expressed in this department are those of the 1·eviewers and not necessarily of the Philippine govern111e11t. Jn the next issue of PHILIPPINES will appear a review of the latest hook on AmericanFilipino eoope1·ationBEFORE BATAAN AND AFTER By Frederic S. Marc1uardt 11

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11

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