Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-08

News events regarding Gen. Smedley
d. Butler furnish material for light
comments from the press, all OF winch
offer evidence that this officer OF the
Marines has q permanent place in the
affections Of the American public,
whether he is wanted to manage police
in Oregon or to straighten out things
in Nicaragua, or Is engaged IN a radio
controversy or diplomatic tilt with
the envoy Of a country in the west
indies.
AS to the Congressional Medal of
Honor that he received, the question
raised by the Haitian Minister as 10
the existence Of the fort that was the
scene of his bravery, the San Francisco
Chronicle suggests that the envoy may
be under the influence Of the American
school of debunking historians who any
day may produce a book to prove there
never was a battle of Bunker Hill or
that the Alamo is the invention Of the
San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. 3"
The Chronicle concludes: whether
Butler is spooflng or takes Superser-
Gus view of himself is an interesting
problem for the psychologists. The su-
persensitive are not likely to have much
of a funny bone. And yet-well, one
guess is as good as another on. Gen.
Smedley Butler"
Referring to both the ruling Of the
general of the radio for use OF pro-
hibited words and the diplomatic Incl
dent. the Ann Arbor Daily News re-
marks: 1--WE must admit certain dis
appointment with Butler for his rails
ing such q fuss. He ought to be big
enough to laugh of both incidents ana
call it a day. His patience has been
somewhat tried of late, particularly by
the MuSsolini affair, but he ougnt 10
get a grip on himself and rise above
such picayunish business. We had al
ways supposed that when the Marines
were landing on some tropical island
they could overlook few mosquito
bites"
Suggesting that the general drama
ties himself as hard-bitten leather
neck, a devil-dog Marine in the story
book manner" the Worcester Telegram
says: cit is inevitable that gentleman
faithfully playing such romantic role
should occasionally get into trouble with
unimaginative, workaday wightS with
whom he comes into contact. That has
been Gen. Buffers fate. When he
speaks lines appropriate to the charac-
ter which he is playing, the groundllngs
misunderstood him. They are not &C
customed to theater on this side Of the
footlights and they are confused and
confounded. And 1t Is too bad. Re
oarded as an actor taking an heroic
swashbuckling part, the general Is q
highly interesting and even entertain
ing person who may be forgiven If he
seasons his language with eXplet1Ves
which most of us avoid. The general
himself might help If he would make a
greater effort to temper his phrases IN
M
A suspicion that the officer is an OBJ
feet of "evident persecution" Is raised
bv the Raleigh News and Observer, with
the declaration that the radio director
'needs to have instructions In the
proper way to treat q gentleman whose
courage and Yalor have brought renoWn
to his country" The Pittsburgh Post
Gazette holds that the general could
not well overlook anything OF nature
to cast aspersion upon his valor; neither
could the Navy, which passed on nus
complaint to the State Department"
That paper also believes that Congress
also IS interested in any implied retlec-
ton upon its award Of a medal" The
Morgantown Domfnion-News states that
"Gen, Butler has kowtowed in the in
terest Of amicable relations, when he
has been in the wrong" and at is only
right that he should be accorded his
little inning now" The Memphis Com
mercial-Appeal sees force in his protest
The proposal of Representative Fish
that Gen. Butler be sent to the work in
Nicaragua arouses the comment from
the Charleston Is. CO. Evening Post:
mr.. Fish's further proposal that
Gen. Butler be given as large a force
of Marines as he may think he needs
for the Job Is out Of character. Gen,
Butler is quite able to accomplish the
whole business single-handed and alone.
Anybody, given enough naen--say, an