Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-09
|CHARGES BY NAVY
| ON BUTLER Barred
General InSuIted Duce and
Embarrassed U. S., Said
Dual Specifications.

The charges and specifications upon
which the Navy Department was pre-
pairing to. try Maj. Gen. Smedley D.
Butler, the commanding general at
Quantico. Va. until the general court
martial was called of yesterday. were
as follows:
charge One:
Conduct to the prejudice of good
order and discipline.
Speech Is Quoted.
Specification:
I'm that Smedley D. Butler, now an
officer in the Marine Corps of TIA
United States Naval Service with the
rank and grade of major general, while
so serving in command of the United
States Marine Barracks, Quantico, Va,
and it being one of his obligations as
such officer of the naval service Of the
United States to display moderation
and courtesy in his public utterances
with reference to the officials of an
other government on friendly relations
with the United States, to the end that
feeling of good will and mutual re-
Spect should be cultivated and eSpe-
cially to refrain from the use of Ian
guage likely to convey an offensive i'm
preston concerning such foreign off,
cialS and to be a source of offense or
annoyance TO such foreign government
and consequent embarrassment to the
Government of the United States in its
foreign relations, he, the said Butler,
did, nevertheless, on or about January
19. 1881, in the Bellevue-Stratford Ho-
tel, In the city of Philadelphia, Pa, de-
liver a speech to and in the presence of
a body of citizens known as the Con-
temporary Club then and there as
sembled. in the course of which speech
he, the said Butler, did then and there
say in substance that he, the said But
Ter, had been told by friend that Sig
nor Benito Mussolini, the prime min
lister of Italy. had run over child
without stopping, while he. the said
Signor Mussolini, was driving visiting
American around Italy in an armored
automobile and did then and there
further say in substance and referring
to the said Signor Mussolini, the fol-
lowing:
"He did not stop when the child was
hit, or slacken his pace.
Passenger Screamed.
envy friend screamed as the child's
body was crushed under the wheels OF
the machine MuSsolini put a hand
on my friends knee.
"''It was only one life," he told my
friend. What is one life in the affairs
of a state" or words to that effect, which
aforesaid speech then and there de-
Iivered by said Butler contained state
ments as hereinbefore alleged in SUBJ
stance, which said statements were OF
a nature to give offense to the govern
ment of Italy, to bring the prime min
lister of friendly government into con-
tempt and disrepute, and to embarrasS
the Government of the United States in
its foreign relations and which did In
fact result In prompt and formal pro-
test from the Italian government and
involve the Government of the United
States in explanation and disclaimer
which conduct of the said Butler as
aforesaid was wholly irregular, unoff1-
cerlike and prejudicial. to good order
and naval discipline"
Second Charge.
charge two
Conduct unbecoming an officer and
a gentleman.
Specification:
I'm that Smedley b. Butler, now an
officer in the Marine Corps of the
United States Naval Service with the
rank and grade of major general, while
so serving in command of the United
States Marine Barracks, Quantico, Va,
did, on or about January 19, 1881, In the
Bellevue -Stratford Hotel In the. City
of Philadelphia, Pa, deliver q speech
to and in the presence Of a body of
citizens known as the Contemporary
Club, then and there assembled, in the
course of which speech, he, the said
Butler, did then and there knowingly
and willfully repeat, publish and circu-
late offensive, opprobrious and insulting
statements which he, the said Butler,
then and there asserted he had heard
from a person unnamed, and which
statements reflected upon, and were of
nature tending to tnjure the charac-
ter and reputation Of Signor Behito
MusSolini, the prime minister of Italy,
the said Butler then and there saying
in substance that he, the said Butler,
had been told by a friend that Signor
Mussolini, the prime minister of Italy,
had run over q child without stopping
while he, the said Signor MusSolini,
was driving visiting American around
Italy in an armored automobile, and did
then and there further say In substance
and referring to the said Signor Musso-
lini. the following:
He did not stop when the child
was hit or slacken his pace.
Vilification Charges.
"'My friend screamed as the child's
body was crushed under the wheels Of
the machine. MuSsolini put a hand
on my friends knee:
"'"It was only one life" he told my