"Independence" Day

In Manila last week the church bells clanged loud & long. In the shadow of Japan's ancient gods, Philippine priests muttered special masses. Gay lanterns dangled from street arches. Silk placards ' fluttered gaily. It was "Independence Day" in the Philippines--by special permission of Tokyo.

The Japs had established a Philippine totalitarian party, the Kalibapi. They had collected some unquestionably loyal quislings, headed by Puppet President Jose P. Laurel, a former Philippine Supreme Court Justice. At his inaugural last week, a 21-gun salute rattled over the capital.

Fortnight ago Franklin Roosevelt asked Congress for authority to proclaim the Islands' independence "as soon as feasible." With the odds still heavily on Japan's side, the propaganda battle for the Philippines was on.

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