The Wilmington morning star., 1943-11-26
By WEsTBROOK PEGLER

| NEW YORK.-1f General Eisenhower thinks
General Patton is indispensable he should be
| allowed to keep him on the job, for certainly
the public humiliation inflicted on Patton for
berating and beating sick soldier and kick
ing up a scene in hospital cannot be regard
ed as temptation to other officers to- do
| likewise. But the incident can serve to re-
wise a popular notion that p1otane tongue
and brutal disposition are the characters
tics of good soldier. Patton happens to be
a good soldier in spite of these faults and,
while his absolute fearlessness and his drive
and ability are recognized by others, ne is
not admired personally.
The majority of the officers of the regular
Army are remarkably well hammered and
clean of speech and gentlemen in the true
meaning of the word. The reserves and the
new officers who did not so through the Mill
tary Academy are about as they were in CT
william life, subject, however, to any improve
ment that might have been wrought by the
code of the regulars.
We had in our public life few years ago
former officer who, all his life, both in the
Army and in his civilian career, affected a
hard boiled manner and who was encouraged
to excuses by his publicity which presented
him as merely rugged when he was, In fact,
so profane and vulgar that sensitive people
sometimes gave him up. On one occasion he
was rebuked by civilian at & social gath
apparently thought was only picturesque. An
other officer, a general who had been his
classmate at the Military Academy, once COM
mented privately that he was sick and tired
of hearing civilians remark that MS old COM
rade was the salt Of the EARTH for he regarded
him as just a dirty man and recalled that IN
their cadet days he was Stunned by many
of the corps for just that reason. However,
the man did have ability anc great energy
| and ina 0jnatiOp n eniOVeO tdlrlV Sue
| cessful career, notwithstanding.
Those who have chance to associate with
officers at West Point cannot fail to be i'm
pressed by their gentiemanly manners and
| speech. 1 have sat through meals and spent
| hours at evening gatherings with groups OF
| them and noted the absence OF expressions
which most civilians ALLOW themselves for plr-
poses of emphasis or to attract attention.
This certainly does not mean that they are
prigs, for if an occasion requires force and
| emphasis they usually have plenty at their
command. And, although Pattor's bravery is
as famous his bullying ways, there are
others just as brave who also have the respect
and the deep personal loyalty OF their SUBJ
| ordnates.
+, Patton was with General Pershing in Mex
leo and went to France with him as cap
| tain and may have thought he was using
| Pershing as model, because Persh1ng could
swear resoundingly when ne was in temper
| and he wasn't what anyone could have called
| fatherly commander. But Pershing did have
dignity and would not have encouraged the
| war correspondents to call hira old blood and
| CUTS, title in which Patton apparently glor-
| led For contrast, there was another captain
who went to France and caught Pershing' S
eve who has come far since then without ever
resorting to the language of the gutter or the
manners of thug That would be General
George Marshall, who has outrun Patton all
the way and might be President of the United
States some time after the war.
The punishment imposed on Patton was alb
solute1v UNIQUE and undoubtedly will cur b
him for now he surely understands that he
will he watched closely and that if he ever
reneats the offense he will pe relieved and
nrohablv court-martialed. 1t might even teach
him to clean up his language for he must
realize that he has overplayed his role in
which he imposed on men We couldn't talk
W. strike back. All thi: being so. General
eisenhower would seem to have acted with
wisdom as well force and originality fo1
Il nrobably means that he keeps strong
able officer and cures evil Condition which
had to be challenged some time. IF Patton
had been allowed to get away with this o,,t-
~ geous conduct, then every otrer Office o.d
noncom would have been justified in actine
J likewise