WASHINGTON--The War Department was understood last night to be ready to ask Congress for expansion of selective service age limits from 21-28 years to 18-44 years--a move which would increase by almost 20,000,000 the reservoir of manpower available for the armed forces.

As President Roosevelt addressed the nation last night, there were indications that the Philippines had become the core of a 10,000 mile land, sea, and air battleground.

An Army spokesman at Manila said that all indications pointed to a heavy enemy attack on northern Luzon with land troops supplemented by a naval contingent. Luzon is the island upon which Manila is located.

Japan was said to have thrown not only ships, but planes and ground forces into this long-awaited lunge at America's chief bastion of defense in the Pacific.

A United Press listening post at San Francisco heard the Tokyo radio claim that a Japanese submarine sunk a 15,000 ton American Army transport off Manila Harbor.

Manila itself was bombed again, but thunderous anti-aircraft fire filled the skies with exploding shrapnel and forced the Japanese airmen to speed away within five minutes.

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IN NORTHERN LUZON--American soldiers might, at this moment, be locked in battle for the first time on land with Japanese troops. The official German news agency quoted a Japanese military spokesman as saying that such an invasion attempt had been made.