The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-11-25
GENERAL PATT0N'S|
REMOVAL IS URGED
Continued From Page One)

~ t0ntlnueu trOH rage OuGJ
there was nothing to indicate thai
Kuhl was the man involved in the
Sicilian hospital incident.
The Army has withheld the name
of the soldier in the Sicilian in
cident, but Allied headquarters al
Algiers said he VIZ a 21-year-olo
private who enlisted in the Caro-
inas.
The call for Patton's removal
from command was made by Rep.
johnson ID. Okls.), who an
nounced he had written to Gen.
George c. Marshal. chief OF staff,
that it "should be obvious that
this unprovokcd attack upon prl-
vate soldier has destroyed the gen.
erals usefulness as conmank
er of the TIN Army or any othN
division
Grant read a statement issued
by Kuhls father, which said:
IT hold DO personal feelings
against General Patton. If ne is
good man, as they say, let's
keep him. We need good men.
1--WE don't want to stand in the
way of promotion for General
Patton"
The Senate Military Committee,
which asked for the report from
Secretary Stl'nson, is considering
a permanent promotion to major
general for him.
Johnson's letter referred to the
Sicilian episode as "desplcable
incident and of the inexcusable
ed and chagrlned at the state
nent that General Patton is still
in command of the 7th Army"
Saying he served as a private
IN the First World War, johnson
continued:
eff the officers and men in the
7th Army teany know the facts
in connection with this unfortunate
incident and of tn einexcusable
and despicable acts of the gen.
eral in question, I know from my
experience that they would n OF
want him ir command of their
outfit; but whether they are aware
of the true facts or not, the moth
ers and fathers of these gallant
lads are entitled to know that their
commanding officers can be de-
pended upon, unde1 any and all
circumstances. to protect them If
and when humanity possible to do
so. Such incidents might be over
looked and closed with an unof-
fetal spanking ir Hitler's army,
but not in Uncle Sans"
Rep. Hoeven {R.-IoWa) proposed
an investigation BY the House Mil
itary Committee, He told the House
he had received a telegram from
an American Legion post on his
district asking one and quoted it
as saying:
these are American soldiers
and rot German. If CUR boys are
to be mistreated, let's import Hit
Ter and do 1t up right
Rep. Grant R.-Ind.) announced
he had written to Secretary of
War Stinnson telling him SIN the
best interests Of the service itself
and the families at home, I firmly
believe a complete and thorough
report on this whole affair should
be dispatched without delay to the
committee on military affairs of
the House.
Grant also inquired whether the
soldier involved was Charles H.
Kuhl of Mishawaka, Ind. He said
Kuhl wrote his fati er Aug. 4 that
General Patton slapped my face
yesterday and kicked me in the
pants and cussed me-"
Dispatches from correspondents
at Allied headquarters in Algiers
said it was 24-yea1 .olei Southern
boy whose slapping led General
Dwight D. Eisenhower, command
er in the Mediterranean theater,
to require sn apology from "Old
Blood and Cuts; as Patton's men
call him. Patton apologized not
only to the sold1e but to the en-
tire 7th Army.
Edward Kennedy, Associated
Press correspondent, said the in
cident occurred Aug. 10 at time
when the campaign was in criti-
cal period ard both Patton d
his men were under terrific pres
sure. The soldier was in an evac-
uation hospital, under treatment
for nervous fatigue. AS Kennedy
received the story from witnesses,
Patton came in and, employing
profanity, called Tn soldier
"eoward'' and yellow belly and
struck him twice on the head.
Chairman Reynolds (D.-N. CO.