Evening star., 1931-04-26
BUTLER '|MAG|NES'
HOW HAITIAN FORT
WAS TAKEN BY TRIO
But When Marine Quotes
"HeII," Radio Man Cuts
Him OFF Air.
GENERAL GIVES JOKING
VERSION OF EXPERIENCE
Says He Was Third in Hole in
Incident Involved in Diplo-
matte Tangle.
By the Associated Prcss.

By the Associated Press.
Cen Smedley D. Butler of the Marine
Corps speaking in humorous vein to-
night, told members OF the 3l2th Field
Artillery Association his story OF the
taking of Fort Riviere in Haiti in 1915.
But the Philadelphia Record says
that he ran into radio censorship"
while his story was being broadcast.
He was rambling along in jocular
fashion, the Record says, "picturing
the scene in detail, when he used the
word hell as part of a quotation.
Promptly he was cut of the air by
Howard Miller, owner and announcer
of the station. He was kept of the air
about five minutes.
Later. when he found it out. a storm
broke. The 800 men at the dinner, in
cluding Judges Harry S. McDevitt, Otto
r. Heiligman and Francis Skunk Brown,
hared into indignation. What reused
their ire was that the announcer. in
explaining the silence to the radio audi
ence, had said; We are sorry If you
have been offended by Gen. Buffers use
OF profane and obscene language. 1t is
strict rule of this station that no
profanity shall be broadcast
Feared Obscenity Report.
Immediately after this announce
ment newspaper offices were flooded
with telephone calls from indignant
listeners who had heard it. What Gen.
Butler feared most was that there would
be a misunderstanding of what he said.
He was afraid listeners would think he
really turned to obscenity, he said
Told what had happened. he left
the speakers table and sped to the con-
troll room. There newspaper men were
questioning Miller. Butler. fianked by
several friends, came In trembling with
anger.
Did you cut me OFF, he demanded.
Did you say was obscene?
Miller became flustered and finally
said he had done what he thought was
right. The Federal Radio Commissions
regulations ban the use of 'obscenity and
profanity he said. He had decided the
Butler finally Stalked out of the
room. and later Judge McDevitt. close
friend of the fighting Marine, explained
to the radio audience: AT no time did
Gen. Butler use profane or obscene lam
guage. The only use of the word OBJ
jected to was in quoting top sergeant,
and need not explain to you what the
characteristic language of top ser
geant is He then presented the
apologies of the station and all con-
cerned in the muzzling."
Tells His Story.
In the course of his speech. referring
to the diplomatic tangie that has arisen
over the incident as the result Of re-
marks attributed to Minister Bellegarde
of Haiti that he had never heard Of the
fort, Gen. Butler remarked:
- suppose something is being done
about it. I don't want to make too
many remarks. Things usually come to
an END.
In recent days an embarrassing in
cident over the capture of fort in
Haiti has come up" Gen Butler said
Il may be imagining what happened
there-I don't know.
Anyway. there was an old brick fort
on hill 1000 feet high in Haiti. The
last of the rebel element that had not
been licked got in this fort. /, Tin my
imagination) was given the job Of TAX
ing it.
% men each-I want to get it exact
now-and they approached from four
sides. Three companies could not get
to the fort because of tangled trails.
Our detachment of "a men arrived at
am stopped about 200 yards from
the fort, and divided into two parties.
Twelve men laid down with machine
guns and IL advanced through bushes
and moat to the fort.
I'VE found the entrance to the fort
had been bricked up, and the bandits
had been in the habit OF going in
and out a drain about by 81 feet and
20 feet long. Two citizens of the fort
were shooting through that drain. There
were three of us there, sergeant Of
Marines, a private and myself. 1t was
my job to 60 in the hole. didn't feel
like going in there. It took some time
TO get up my courage.
Il looked over to the sergeant He
gave an expression that as much as
said: III go in The private went in
after him. When 1 saw the hole
plugged by the other two I went in
too. While we were crawling through,
two constituents fired-maybe they
fred blanks, for none hit"
Here Gen. Butler paused to remark
that he wished to be careful Ito testify
correctly
Investigation Must Determine.
1--WE got into the fort" he went on.
and it seemed like long time until
anybody else came through, although
it really was only short time. There
were $50 buzzar0s in there and only
three capturers-that is I suppose it
was that way l don't know whether
the fort ever existed That has to be
determined by investigation
Il recommended those two Marines
for medals. They recommended me.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roose-
velt came to Haiti to look into the
recommendation. He climbed up the
hill. It's an eight-hour climb. SAT-
him a couple of days later and nc was
still tired. He said he did not know
what We did there but that we deserved
medals for climbing the hill.
The identity of the fort might be
further established by asking Capt.
Boone, the White House physician and
doctor Of our outfit in Haiti"
MINISTER DENIES INTERVIEW.