The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-27
BUTLER BLAST
STIRS WRATH
OF MUSSOL|NI
Marine Firebrand Is Called
by Navy Chief to Give
Explanation.
UNTRUE, SAYS ENVOY
Charge in Speech at Club
That il DuCe Ran Down
Child Is Denounced.
BIZ United press

BIZ United Pres
WASHINGTON, Jan 27.-Major-
General Smedley d. Butler, u. S. M
C., has been called upon by the navy
department to explain statements
alegedly made by him in a speech
at Philadelphia last week, said by
Italian Ambassador De MARITIME to
have been derogatory to Premier
Mussolini of Italy.
Butler was not at his post at the
Quantico marine barracks, of which
he is commandment, today and itwas
believed probable that he was en-
route to Washington to make a per-
sonal explanation.
Ambassador De MARITIME made his
protest to the state department last
week. He said that he was informed
that Butler, speaking before a
luncheon of the Contemporary Club
of Philadelphia, had made several
statements reflecting upon MusSo-
lini, chief among them being:
That a friend of Buffers motored
through Italy with Mussolini. The
premier drove his car at rates of
speed bordering seventy miles an
hour and was reckless frequently.
ChiId's Life Nothing"
"On one occasion the car struck
a child. The premier paid little
heed, remarking that the life Of one
child was nothing compared to the
life of the state.
That Mussolini was ''one of those
embryo fellows who are waiting to
start another war;
That mad dogs" are about to
break loose in Europe"
The state department Immediate
ly called upon the navy to deter
mine the truth of De Martino'S
charges. Secretary of the Navy
Adams referred the request to
Major General Ben Fuller, COM
mandant of the marine corps, who
forwarded Butler a request for an
explanation.
Rules Of the navy department re-
duire that officers on active duty
refrain from comment publicly upon
any controversial matter. Many of
their speeches are written in adj
vance and submitted for approval,
although the regulations do not al
ways require such practice.
Remarks Called Untrue
officers at the navy department
TODAY followed the case with eX-
treme interest, but said they had no
direct information whatever. They
said that the explanation officially
would have to move through the
same channels as did the request
for it.
Ambassador De MARITIME, discuss
ing the incident with the United
Press today, termed Buffers pur-
ported remarks as untrue and
Slanderous allegations"
He said he had learned that
Mussolini never was accompanied by
any American on any motor trip
around Italy, such as Butler alleged
~ described.
Embassy officials would not con-
firm reports that the protest was
made on the express orders of Mus
solini or of others in authority at
Rome. 1t was understood in Wash
ington: however, that Mussolini
himself is cognizant of the sup
posed remarks of Butler and is in
censed greatly.
Butler Not Commenting
Friends of Butler we're in touch
with him today and reported that
he was not commenting on the in
.ddent in any way until he makes
MS reply to the navy department.
these friends explained that But
Ter made his reference to MusSolini
in the course of discussing the re-
lationship of state and the individ
ual.
His purpose, they said, was to
show that different peoples had diff
ferent views concerning the impor-
lance of the state as compared with
the inheritance of human life