The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-08-06
RY PrrrH r1NNEY

| BY RUTH FlNNEH
ri PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 6.-Be-
fore one sees "Helldevil But
IL ler." "Old Ginlet Eye" The
Fighting Quaker" as Gen. Smedley
D. Butler is variously called. his
nicknames give rise to the picture of
a gruf, overpowering fellow, pound
ing on the table with his fist while
he talks and enlivening things every
few minutes by throwing q police
man off the Philadelphia city hall
tower. just to show who's boss
around there.
But that is not a faithful picture
Of the man who is cleaning W
Philadelphia
General Butler is so quiet that it is
difficult to realize he is the centra
figure of one Of the most dramatic
chapters OF American municipal his
tory. None OF the drama finds its
way into his office. There Is nc
bombast. no ,oratory, no. boastful
ness as TO the past or the future.
He Has Force
force in his makeup, and this is ap-
parent after one look from the
"glrnlet eyes.s
The secret of that force. apparent
ly. is the odd sincerity Of the man.
He is one Of the rare persons who
has not forgotten the dictionary
-meaning of words and does not rea-
lie that others have.
The general is obviously more than
a little surprised at the uproar he
has created.
"I am only doing what I said I
would do" he remarks. and it Is
what they said they wanted me to
do. l was brought here to take the
police department out Of politics. and
that is what am doing. 1t is very
simple"
There you have the keynote to But
Ter. He means what he says.
Not Politician
Butler says ne knows nothing Of
politics and cares less. Thbse who
have watched him work in Philadel-
phia are not so sure. For whether
skilled artisan in the trade, the fact
remains that he has out-foxed the
fox and has behind him what every
politician in the game is constantly
playing for-the solid support OF the
people.
He has every newspaper in the
city behind him. Last Sunday the
49,. +fo,,- - Enh = ,,xoI,~s - - 49, =
resolutions commencing him. Last
week also the richest merchants or
ganization in the ci6g voluntarily
wrote an indignant letter OF protest
to New York paper which had criti-
cised him. When the first murmurs
Of discomfort Of the politicians with
Butler were heard, there was some
difficulty in preventing a mob of haif
million or so citizens from march.
ing to the city hall to show how they
felt about it ALL The politicians
think this couldn't have been
achieved except by some uncanny
super-political wisdom.
Game Fighter
Undoubtedly the sporting element
Of the thing-one man against the
whole machine-makes a strong ap-
peal to the people and has much TO
do with their enthusiasm. Every
one, the world over, toves a game
fighter.
THE whole secret of the thing lies
in the fact that I have no political
aspirations. says Butler.
This office has always been the
stepping stone to the mayors job
But I'm not here to cultivate friends
or build a machine. I'm here to
finish what I came foc, nothing
else"
General Butler took this Philadel.
ptia position, on leave of absence
from the marine corps, because it
sounded interesting and life in the
army is dull in peace times"
That is the attitude one would ex-
pect from a man who began his mil
itary career at the age of II, in the
Spanish-American war, pulled off
every kind Of exploit known to fight
ing men, won the congressional
medal Of honor twice before the
world war even started. and came
home from that last encounter with
the distinguished service cross and
the title Of brigadier general.