Even Corregidor

When Americans grow gloomy about Southeast Asia (as well they may), they tend to look on the Philippine Republic as a bright spot. It is not. In Washington last week the intelligence appraisal was that the four-year-old republic appeared to be coming apart at the seams. Symptoms:

P: The Communist-led Huks are making ever larger areas unsafe for civilian travel.

P: Military communications are no longer safe. At Clark Air Force Base, only 50 miles north of Manila, curfew now comes an hour before dark--after that, no one is allowed to enter or leave. A dozen Clark Base airmen and civilian employees have been killed, presumably by Huks.

P: Graft and corruption are rampant; the national economy is sagging; the government of ailing, ineffectual President Elpidio Quirino has lost its grip.

P: Not even symbolic Corregidor has escaped the rot. With inside help, raiders recently penetrated the island fortress, cut through its armory's steel doors, and with insolent leisure ferried truckloads of arms, ammunition and supplies--especially detonators, valuable in any guerrilla operation--down to their boats and away.

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