HEAVY FIGHTING TO REPEL INVADERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 305, 26 December 1941, Page 5

HEAVY FIGHTING TO REPEL INVADERS

MANILA IN DANGER

Government Reorganised With Emergency Powers

United Press Association Copyrlg-ht,

Rec. 1 p.m,

LONDON, Dec. 25,

Dr. Manuel Quezon, Prime Minister of the Philippines, has sweep"g'y reorganised the Government under emergency powers and has merged the nine Cabinet positions dispatch P° sts > states a Manila An army communique states: "Our troops are more than holding their own on all fronts." The Manila correspondent of the A® s .°^'^ ted Press says an unofficial a? f the belligerents regai d Manila as an open citv was given when three waves of Japanese bombers flew over the capital and neither dropped bombs nor drew anti-aircraft fire. The Manila Herald reported that in a raid on Tarjac a bomb struck a passenger train, killing six peopie and wounding 16. Japanese planes bombed two hospitals at Cabanatuan which were plainly marked. Rear-Admiral T. C. Hart, commander of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, has announced that one large Japanese transport and one minesweeper have been sunk. He also said a large Japanese seaplane tender and another transport were probabiv sunk. Japanese bombers twice attacked Cabanatuan, 48 miles east of Tarlac between Lingayen and Manila causing considerable damage to buildings and the railway station, says a Manila message. Japs. Enlarging Footholds The news from the Philippines is ?rave, said an earlier message. The apanese have made 'two further landings, both about 50 miles from Manila. Heavy fighting is continuing" in the Lingayen Gulf area, where the main, invasion is being made, and the Japanese are enlarging their footholds. Filipino ano United States troops are putting up a stiff resistance in a series of delaying actions against ° dds - The Commander-in-Chief, General D. Macarthur, is personally leading his forces.

One hundred Japanese transports are believed to be in Filipino waters and each convoy has a strong air and naval escort. The Manila Herald reports that American artillery effectively shelled at least ten Japanese transports off Agoo.

The War Department in Washington says General Macarthur reported that Japanese troops had landed in two additional areas on Luzon. He added that consideration was being given to the withdrawal of the Government and military forces from Manila and to declaring Manila an open city.