Luzon Push

Bereft of aerial fists because its fighters and bombers were used up, and of eyes because it could send no observation planes across the Jap positions, General Douglas MacArthur's Army on Luzon waited narrow-eyed for the Jap's next move.

The defenders did not have long to wait, nor were they idle while they waited. The 20-mile-wide Bataan peninsula above Manila was organized, first by nature and now by MacArthur's men, for defense. From the right flank, in the marshy delta of the Pampanga River to the left, somewhere north of Subic Bay, the engineers toiled. Tank traps were dug, mines laid, positions scooped out of Bataan's glowering, almost roadless mountains.

During the forepart of the week the Jap did not show much fist. MacArthur's men knew what that meant, did the best they could with ground reconnaissance parties. The enemy was preparing for what would be the drive to clean out the last pocket of U.S. resistance in the Philippines. Jap and U.S troops met in short, savage skirmishes.

At week's end the enemy struck. He charged savagely into the delta country in full-out attack. The hurried U.S. defenses had been well manned, well prepared. The Jap was thrown reeling back, suffered heavy casualties. MacArthur reported his own losses were light.

But it was only the beginning, perhaps no more than a feeler of U.S. strength. The Jap meanwhile pecked at Corregidor from the air, scouted the area thoroughly with his airplanes. Early this week he claimed to have captured the naval base at Olongapo. Even the loss of Subic Bay's control may not mean much in the long run. Its immediate value is only for an evacuation of MacArthur's troops. None seemed to be contemplated.

Something of the nature of the fighting now to be expected could be gathered last week from the remarks of Columnist Hugh Johnson, who in his Army days knew Bataan Province:

"It is mostly a jumble of incredibly steep mountains of volcanic origin. They form a gigantic and even terrifying rampart inclosing Subic Bay and the naval station at Olongapo--a good port with some facilities for disembarking reinforcements or embarking a retreat.

"In the strategy MacArthur seems to have adopted he can make an enemy pay 10-to-1 for every advance, if he can get supplies. If the Subic Bay base is still reasonably safe for his support we may witness one of the classic sieges of history. "There is little of spectacular glory in commanding a defense against a siege, but sometimes, as in this case, such a successful defense immobilizes so many of the enemy as to be the equivalent of a great and victorious battle."

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