other internee who did. The only help we received was from the American Red Cross at the end of 1943.

During my internment at 19 Mabini, which I had requested in order to be able to see my doctor more easily, I had to provide my own food. Having no money, I was obliged to eat part of the food given me by a kindly Swiss gentleman for my two pet dogs! And in order to pay my income tax to the Japanese for 1941 I was obliged to sell one of my dresses. Life was so hard that I was glad to get back to Santo Tomas. With all its shortcomings it was better than being interned elsewhere, where a great many things I saw made me heartsick.

The following are the requests I wish to make of you:

(1) Extension of disability benefits beyond the limitations now allowed.

(2) Benefits of $1.50 per day as allowed military personnel.

(3) Payment of the balance due by the War Damage Commission.

(4) Continuance of disability and medical expenses.

I wish to state that the reasons I seek such demands for loss of health, inability to work due to conditions brought about by malnutrition, starvation and want of sufficient medical care during the internment, it being all our doctors and nurses could do to care for thousands of persons with the limited supplies at their disposal, is because I feel that the individual has suffered more, lost more in proportion, and is therefore more entitled to consideration than the religous organizations which have not been discriminated against, and have already been very well take care of, both by the War Damage Commission as well as the War Claims Commission. I am enclosing papers received from the War Damage Commission with first check. Those accompanying second check were held by the National City Bank, Manila, in case a third payment was made by the Commission.

Thanking you for your kind consideration and help which will be invaluable to so many, I beg to remain

Very sincerely and respectfully,

STATE OF CALIFORNIA,

City and County of San Francisco, ss:

ALEXANDRA LOUISE WOOLF.

On this 30th day of March in the year 1954 before me, Helen R. Omar, a notary public in and for the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, residing therein, duly commissioned and sworn, personally appeared Alexandra Louise Woolf known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the within instrument, and acknowledge to me that she executed the same.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal in the city and county of San Francisco the day and year in this certificate first above written.

[SEAL]

HELEN R. OMAR,

Notary Public in and for the City and County of San Francisco,
State of California.

My commission expires October 27, 1956.

The CHAIRMAN,

APRIL 7, 1954.

House Interstate Foreign Commerce Committee,

Washington, D. C.

DEAR SIR: I am advised by the American Internee Committee of several amendments to bills No. H. R. 5741 and S. J. R. 102, three of which I am greatly interested in:

1. Payment of Bank Accounts and other Sequestered Investments in the Philippines: I still have deposited with the Philippine Trust Co. an acknowledged amount of P2,123.63 in two accounts—(a) T. B. Tolman, P1,063.59; (b) Tolman Tire Co., P1,060.04.

2. Extension of disability benefits beyond the limitations now allowed: My wife, due to illness caused by internment, is still unable to walk alone, and we depend upon her benefits from the Bureau of Employees Compensation for the purchase of her medicines.

3. Benefits of $1.50 per day as allowed military personnel POW's: We suffered the same deprivations as they.

Your assistance in the passage of these amendments on my behalf is requested, as well as your assistance in the passing of such other amendments as will benefit my fellow surviving internees.

Respectfully,

T. B. TOLMAN.

Signed before me at Albuquerque, N. Mex., this 8th day of April 1954. [SEAL]

My commission expires July 13, 1954.

JOHN WIENING, Notary Public.

Garden Grove, CALIF., April 6, 1954.

WAR CLAIMS COMMISSION,

Washington, D. C.

DEAR SIR: I would like to put in a claim through the War Claims Act, for the money Mr. Charles R. Winn (now deceased) and I had in the Central Bank of the Philippines. Taken over by the Bank of Taiwan.

A Central Bank official receipt No. 13176 shows the amount of P565.55 (pesos) at the time of transfer worth $182.77.

Very truly yours,

Mrs. ETHEL M. WINN.

JOHN S. BERNARD,

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 6th day of April 1954.
[SEAL]

Notary Public, County of Orange,
State of California.

CHAIRMAN, HOUSE INTERSTATE FOREIGN COMMERCE COMMITTEE,
House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MARCH 18, 1954.

DEAR SIR: I am one of the Americans who was interned in the Philippines by the Japanese from 1942-45. I desire to have these amendments passed for the following reasons:

1. Payment of bank accounts and other sequestered investments in the Philippines.

I have filed a claim against the Philippine Trust Co. for $1,000 which was among those funds sequestered in the Bank of Taiwan in September 1944. (Claim No. 1442 with Philippine Alien Property Administration of United States.) As I am a widow, single, and the sole support of myself and part support of my child, the recovery of this fund would be of great benefit in meeting living expenses, doctor bills, and education for my 13-year-old daughter.

2. Payment of property losses, under section 8 of the War Claims Act.

I filed a claim for personal property losses with the United States Philippine War Damage Commission (claim No. 1287) for 3,415 pesos, for which I was paid only 1,525 pesos out of the 2,000 pesos approved.

3. Benefits of $1.50 per day as allowed military personnel POW's.

The additional $1.50 per day would help to a certain extent, to compensate for the great privations and starvation diet and consequent loss of health suffered by the American internees, which I believe were equally as great as those suffered by the POW's.

4. Detention and disability benefits for persons who came within the purview of the Missing Persons Act.

I believe these Government employees hired in the Philippines should be given equal benefits.

ELIZABETH S. SCOTT.

RUTH CALLMANY,

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18th day of March 1954.

Notary Public, City and County of San Francisco, State of California.

My commission expires May 11, 1957.

AMERICAN INTERNEES COMMITTEE,

Pasadena, Calif.

Attention: Mr. Frank E. Wilson.

OFICINA TECNICA STUBBINS,
Puerto La Cruz, March 22, 1954.

GENTLEMEN : We are in receipt of your letter of March 6 giving us a list of claims which myself and family may put in for.

(1) Equalization of benefits for detention between adults and children

Please be advised that Claire Elizabeth Plowman, our oldest daughter, was born 4 days after surrender on June 2, 1942, in Dansalan, Lanao, Philippine Islands. This can be verified by checking passport number 4 issued in the consulate of the United States of America at Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, service number 2215, the consulate's FS number 94637.

(2) Payment of bank accounts and other sequestered investments in the Philippines

At the time of the occupation of the Philippines we had a bank account in the National City Bank of approximately $1,200. I am sorry to state, however, that we have no proof whatsoever of this account and the only possible proof of such a claim would be to contact the National City Bank in Manila and see if they have any record left of personal accounts.

(3) Payment of property losses

When all of these claims started some years ago, the writer put in for claims on his schooner, lime kiln (in which we went into detail), household goods, furniture, etc. However, at that particular time we were informed that our claim had arrived too late. Please find attached copies of correspondence pertaining to this misunderstanding which may help clarify the matter.

Anything you can do to assist us in regaining our losses will be greatly appreciated, and we are anxiously awaiting for your findings.

Sincerely yours,

G. HARDEN PLOWMAN.

CERTIFICATION OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF EXECUTION OF AN INSTRUMENT REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA, STATE OF ANZOATEGUI, DISTRICT OF SOTILLO,

City of Puerto la Cruz, Consulate of the United States of America, ss: I, Ernest B. Gutierrez, consul of the United States of America at Puerto la Cruz, Anzoategui, Venezuela, duly commissioned and qualified, do hereby certify that on this 22d day of March, 1954, before me personally appeared G. Harden Plowman, to me personally known, and known to me to be the individual described in, whose name he subscribed to, and who executed the annexed instrument, and being informed by me of the contents of said instrument he duly acknowledged to me that he executed the same freely and voluntarily for the uses and purposes therein mentioned.

In witness whereof I have hereuntil set my hand and official seal the day and year last above written.

Service No. 2739

ERNEST B. GUTIERREZ, Consul of the United States of America.

PUERTO LA CRUZ, May 17, 1950.

WAR DAMAGE CLAIM COMMISSION,

Manila, Philippine Islands.

GENTLEMEN: On the 15th of May the writer received the following cable: "Rush war damage claim paper fastest airmail. Believe good chance collecting depending arrival before 25th this month.-Martin Duarte."

There has been considerable correspondence in reference to our claim being put in to the Government, and since it was mishandled when the War Damage Corporation changed over the files to the War Claims Commission, the writer was notified that due to the fact we were unable to submit our claim within the specified time limit our claim would not be honored. Now, however, it develops that there is still a chance that something may be salvaged through the channels authorized by the Government to adjust these matters.

Attached please find copy of personal effects lost by the writer and family while he was an employee of Mindanao Mother Lode Mines in Surigao, Surigao, Mindanao, Philippine Islands.

At the time, the writer was working as a mine foreman for the above company when the war came on, and personal effects were removed from our home at the mine by the Japanese. The two lime kilns were owned by myself and located some 10 kilometers from the mine. The schooner mentioned in the attached sheet was used for carrying lime from Surigao to Masbate Consolidated at Masbate. All of the above can be very easily verified by Mr. Larry Smith who is now managen for Mindanao Mother Lode Mines at Surigao. Mr. Whitey Crenshaw, who is now the mine superintendent at the above mine, will also verify the fact that these war-damage claims are correct.

The writer is not taking the time at the present moment to describe in detail all that took place due to the urgency of getting this in the mail and in your hands before the 25th. However, it is the writer's opinion that if my file is consulted and the parties mentioned are consulted as to verifying the quantities involved and the amounts of money involved, your investigation can be very thorough and to the point.

Hoping that something can be recovered from the attached claim, we remain, Very truly yours,

Dishes

G. HARDEN PLOWMAN,

% Oficina Tecnica Stubbins, C. A., Apartado No. 5, Barcelona, Venezuela, South America.

Kitchen utensils.

Coffee table---

3 tables (nest).

WAR DAMAGE CLAIM FOR ARTICLES LOST

1 antique Chinese bowl__

1 Chinese cloissoine vase.

1 camphor chest__.

1 bronze head_____

1 waffle iron-grill combination___

1 electric iron____.

1 portable typewriter----

1 photographic enlarging set..

1 Valenda camera_

1 pair cowboy boots---

3 men's Palm Beach suits.

45 Hand drills.

45 Sledge hammers_.
12 Dynamite

Labor

Capitaz (foreman)_

130 Blacksmith equipment.

245

House

Tool shed

Value

1,321

100

98 feet by 25 feet by 12 ft---- 3,000

12

or

Mr. G. HARDEN PLOWMAN,
Oficina Tecnica Stubbins,

PHILIPPINE WAR DAMAGE COMMISSION,
San Francisco, Calif., March 23, 1950..

Apartado No. 7, Caracas, Venezuela.

DEAR Mr. PLOW MAN: This will acknowledge receipt of your letter dated March 10, 1950, wherein you explain in detail the reasons why you failed to file your claim for war damages with this Commission. You state that the reason for your not receiving forms for completion is entirely the fault of this Commission inasmuch as you state that you received forms from "your San Francisco Office" and that these forms were filled out and returned to this Commission. You state further that someone in this Commission made a mistake in copying your address and that had this mistake not occurred, you would have been able to submit the claim forms before February 29, 1948.

It is apparent that you are under the misconception that your original claim was filed with this Commission in San Francisco, Calif. The United States Philippine War Damage Commission has never had an office in San Francisco, Calif., and for that reason it is presumed that your claim was filed with the War Damage Corporation. This Corporation which is now in the process of liquidation, is a separate and distinct organization from the War Damage Commission. Claims which were on file with that Corporation could not be considered by our Commission unless they were resubmitted on forms approved by this Commission. Obviously, the error regarding your address was made prior to the receipt of any correspondence from you by us.

It is regretted that you feel that the Commission does not endeavor to find out the true facts particularly in cases where people have been interned. For your information, you are advised that every effort was made by the Commission to notify all those who have possible claims against the Government for losses in the Philippines. Mailing lists of American internees, former Government employees and many others were used in forwarding notices to those whose addresses were available. In addition, through the medium of the newspapers and radio broadcasts in the United States and in the Philippines, every effort was made to disseminate information regarding the filing of claims for war damage losses. Inasmuch as the Commission was only required by law to publish its rules and regulations in the Federal Register regarding war-damage payment, it is believed that this additional service which we rendered to claimants is not consistent with the charges that no effort has been made by this Commission to assist internees.

The Commission is still confronted with the tremendous task in attempting to conclude the adjudication of over 1,250,000 claims before June 30, 1950. However, in spite of the limited time which the Congress of the United States specified for the completion of the Commission's work, it appears that the job will be completed within or shortly before the deadline, April 30, 1951. It is to be expected that out of the large number of claims filed that unfortunate experiences such as yours are inevitable. However, contrary to your current opinion, every consideration has been given to your case and under the circumstances, the original determination of the Commission is affirmed and there is no authority for giving further consideration thereto at this time.

Sincerely yours,

F. L. CHARLES, Secretary.

[Written in longhand]

May I asBut I am mistake of

P. S.-I have personally made an exhaustive study of your case. sure you that if there were anything I could do to help you I would. sure you will appreciate that we cannot be held responsible for the another agency. We took the addresses given to us by the War Damage Coporation in good faith. I sincerely regret that we cannot help you.

Mr. FRANK E. WILSON,

P. L. CHARLES.

PUERTO LA CRUZ, May 23, 1949.

Pasadena 3, Calif.

American Internee's Committee,

DEAR FRANK: Received your form letter from Pasadena postmarked May 3, and thanks a lot.

I do not know whether you realize it or not, but Beth and I have kept in correspondence with several of the former internees and several have commented on the good job that has been done by yourself and committee in Washington.