Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-08
BY LIEUT.. ARTHUR J. BURKS,

Hystt OliSA Al'ieieS' oA "IiS" 'HiS 10 '"'
BY LIEUT.. ARTHUR J. BURKS,
.. s. M. C.. Resisnsd;; Former Aide to
To Sergt Maj. Copeland, U. S. M. c.,
retired, of Ocean Beach, Calf, Gen
Smedley D. Butler is and always has
been a hero and a fighting idol.
At the Marine base in San Diego
Copeland was always underfoot, afraid
some emergency might send the Ma
rines to the far corners of the world
when he wouldn't be able to go along,
or at the very least be at the dock
to bid good-by to Butler.
What is there about Butler to cause
all this loyalty?" he was asked.
Plenty! I've known him a long
while and soldiered under him several
times, and it would take too long to
tell you all about 1t unles you had
plenty of time.
Went Without Weapon.
"One incident is enough. That's
when Butler led his Marines into Vera
Cruz in 1914, after having got away
with some spy work in Mexico City.
Nobody can tell me he hasn't courage.
He led his men through the streets
with no weapon of his own in use
except a stick he'd picked up On the
way in.
He walked in the center of the
street while snipers in the windows on
either side were trying to pick off his
men, who were in two columns on
either side, keeping close to the door,
ways for cover. Butler walked, as
say, squarely in the middle of the
street, with bullets kicking up dirt all
around him. He pointed out Mexican
SnipeFS in the windows to his sharp
shooters and yelled to them to do their
stuff.
Maybe it was sensational. but to
Butler it wasn't. He walked in the
center of the street because he could
see better there and he was anxious
to get the job over as fast as possible"
A short time later I heard Butler
say a few words on the subject Of
courage.
Explains His Courage.
"I've no more courage than the next
man." he snapped, but it's always been
my job to take my fellows through a
mess the quickest way possible, with
the loss of the feweSt men. You can't
do that from a distance. Besides, I
was being paid to do what did. I've
been scared plenty, but If I'd ever let
my men know it, they'd have been
scared, too. And soldiers who are scared
aren't worth so much. They'll keep
their lives, but the job won't get done"
A civilian came to me in San Diego
and gave me his card. He had served
with Butler in China. He had been a
private, Butler a first lieutenant The
chap hadn't seen Butler for 26 years
and wanted to renew acquaintance. He
told me what part he'd taken in the
Boxer fuss and how he'd been wounded.
I didn't announce him. I took him
in to Butler, who called him instantly
by name, reminded the man of Incl
dents he had just related to me and
recalled where he had been wounded,
together with a lot of stuff the jSsitor
himself had forgotten, but remembered
as Butler reminded him of it.
Met Mems Dissatisfaction.
A captain who had been Buffers aide
in France went to him in San Diego
and informed him that the men under
him were being forced to work too hard
for their $40 q month and were grum-
bling, threatening almost opening to de-
sert and generally expressing dissatis-
faction.
Butler Immediately called a confer
ence Of all men and officers. They
gathered in the auditorium. Butler
went In and stood on a chair to give
'em Hail Columbia in good Marin