Letter
of
Manuel L. Quezon
President of the Philippines
to
Field Marshal MacArthur
[January 28, 1944]
SECRET
Miami Beach, Fla.
January 28, 1944
For the eyes of General MacArthur only
I see in the Summary of Economic and Political Information covering the period from September 13 to December 31, the following:
“In late September, Bohol requested that the 1,000,000 pesos authorized by President Quezon be doubled. Leyte also requested additional funds. Early in December, the Commander, 10th Military District suggested that he be authorized to supply Leyte and Bohol with emergency currency at their request, thus eliminating two issues of emergency notes. Such supply was authorized by this Headquarters provided delivery be made to the Emergency Control Committee of each province and that the amount does not exceed that specifically authorized by the Commonwealth Government to be printed by such committees.”
Since I authorized the Emergency Currency Board of Leyte and Bohol to issue emergency currency funds for the need of the Army and civil government in those provinces, and I have not authorized the Emergency Committee of Mindanao to supply funds to Leyte and Bohol, am I to understand that your headquarters has assumed the power to give the authority to military district commanders to get funds from the currency boards in their districts not only for their own military command but also for the needs of guerrillas and civil governments in other provinces? If so this would also imply that your headquarters has assumed the power to authorize currency boards created by me for specified areas to issue emergency notes for other areas.
What is the meaning of the words “the currency situation in Samar was ‘out of control’?”.
Q U E Z O N
CERTIFIED TRUE COPY:
(sgd.) SERAPIO D. CANCERAN
Private Secretary to the President
Copied: 12/4/44 rew
SECRET
