Show i BATAAN BATTLE AT STALEMATE I C By py CLARI CLARK CLARILEE LEE WITH GENERAL MAC ARTHUR ARTHUR ARTHUR AR AR- THUR ON BATAAN Lat LA Feb 23 Delayed The R-The The I battle batUe of Bataan appears to have entered a definite stalemate with the Jap Japanese Japanese ese abandoning g at least temporarily their hitherto costly efforts to crack General Douglas 1 MacArthurs MacArthur's s line across the peninsula pen- pen f There are to present no indications indications indications indica- indica whether the Japanese are waiting awaiting reinforcements planning attacks against Bataan and the island Wand fortress of Corregidor from I new directions or whether they content to tighten their en- en are en Military Duels In in the past week infantry activity activity ac ac- ti on the Bataan front has been desultory while artillery duels between Japanese batteries on the south shore of Manila bay d and the gu guns of Corregidor g gother an and other fortified islands have been Intensified in the Manila bay sector of the Bataan front which is dominated b by American Filipino American Filipino artillery the Japanese have abandoned medical and other supplies which the defenders defenders defenders de de- de- de fenders either captured or de de- troyed Hitherto there has been no explanation of these evidences of hasty departure but the theory theory the the- ory eny has been advanced that the Japanese may have withdrawn some same troops from Bataan positions positions positions along the Lingayen gulf and eastern Luzon fearing American forces will ill land behind them Control Air Japanese aerial activity also has decreased although the Japanese still control the air and periodically periodical periodical- ly receive additional planes espe- espe especially dally 97 which were brought by ship from Formosa and landed somewhere in northern Luzon Heavy casualties suffered by General Hommas Homma's Fourteenth army have undoubtedly contributed contributed contributed contrib contrib- to the halting of the Japanese Japa- Japa nese hese drive Exact Japanese losses have not been estimated but it is certain that thousands thousands perhaps perhaps as high as have have been killed or wounded |