Evening star., 1943-11-24

deciding on trying the landings,
Gen. Patton knew he was gambling
with hundreds of lives. No pressure
could be greater. Then. too, he was
quoted afterward as saying that he
had hoped his outburst would snap
the soldier back into shape. ~
Many old line commanders believe
that shell-shock- is something like
a woman in the grip of hysteria who
can be brought to her normal senses
by Sharp, decisive discipline, which
is seemingly ruthless and unsympa-
thetic. Discussing this a major
general said:
II was a shell-shock patient in the
last World War. I was a lieutenant
at the time and slightly wounded
but I would have been just as well
of il they had given me kick in the
pants at the hospital and sent me
back to the front lines. I recovered
anyway, and after that we went on
several heavy combat actions"
The question at issue was not
however, whether Gen. Patton was
wrong He was. Generals do not
ordinarily strike privates. anymore
than privates strike generals.
The question was. what should be
done about it? A correspondent in
Sicily at the time. who had spent
many years in Germany before the
war said:
IF this thing had happened in
the German Army the general would
be broken so quickly he wouldn' t
know what had happened"
That is probably true. but it is
doubtful whether the German peo-
pie ever would have learned what
had happened. 1t is doubtful. too,
whether in the German Army a
lieutenant general would, under any
circumstances. have apologized pub
licly to private.
Gen. Patton. reputed to be the
wealthiest soldier in the Army, was
at the peak of his brilliant military
career at the close of the Sicilian
campaign. In swift, bold maneuvers
his army had conquered the major
part of the island in 80 working days.
To make amends for his unjust,
rash and indiscreet treatment of the
Ishell-shocked private, he called in
all principals in the case and apolo-
gized. All concerned accepted his
apology. Gen. Patton then assem-
bled his officers and men and apolo-
gized to them.
Gen. Patton believes in discipline
and glory. He is hard on his men
but harder on his officers and him
self. He has been punished. Moth
ing could possibly gall him more
than to have to stand up and admit
in public that he had broken the
code he lived blythe code of an
omcer and gentleman.
The Army has protected the dig
nifty OF the enlisted man in this
case. 1t has shown all ranks that
even q three-Star general can't slap
buck private around, and get away
with it. 1t won't be tried again in a
hurry.
But the War Department wants
Gen. Patton to stay on the job. It is
satisfied that the officers and men
OF the 7th Army have accepted his
apology, and that they are willing
to fight on under his leadership.
They want him to stick because he is
battle-smart and has the victory
habit. "Old Blood and Cuts" has
never lost.
A good general saves lives by
winning wars. Losing generals lose
lives as well as. battles.
|. Abraham Lincoln forgave Gen
Ulysses S. Grant his whisky drink
ing because he thought it more i'm
portant to get on with the war than
to have ''teetotaler" leading his
troops. Now Gen. Eisenhower and
the War Department want Gen
Patton forgiven for his bad temper
They think more Is to be gained BY
keeping him In harness than by re-
placing him with general who
never lost his temper-or won q