Evening star., 1947-10-03
Gen.LeeC|eared
ButArmyAdnits
Policy Errors
f..
Charges Of Brutality
And High Living Held
Unfounded in Italy

of officers under 1t. Gen. John C.
H. Lee in Italy gave a wholly
erroneous picture" to the Amer
lean people, according to a re-
port released today from the
Army's inspector general.
While the Army high command
acknowledged "errors" in the Italian
theater command criticized by Col
umnist Robert C. Ruark, Maj. Gen.
Ira T. Wyche declared in his official
report the stories were based during
q brief stay in the theater on
"meager' information consisting of
a "few facts. half-facts, rumors and
untruths which he accepted as
facts"
In q report forwarded by Gen
Eisenhower, Army Chief of Staff
to Secretary of the Army Royal,
Gen. Wyche declared Mr.. Ruark
''molded" this information Into
articles that carry implications of
gross maladministration of the the
ater by Gen. Lee and his staff"
Five "Justifiable Complaints"
In sending the report to Secretary
Royal, Gen. Eisenhower pointed out
five apparently justifiable COM
plants brought out by the articles
and Gen. Wyche's subsequent in
vestigation, two of which, he said,
should be blamed primarily on Army
policy over which Gen. Lee had little
or no control.
At the same time, Gen. Eisen-
hover emphasized none of the
errors" could be traced to wrong
intent" on the part of the theater
commander, whose service has won
the appreciation of associates, both
civilian and military, not only of
our own country but of those at
tempting to work with US
Ruark to Reply Later.
Gen. Eisenhower ordered the in
vestigation after Mr.. Ruark wrote
a series of articles under datelines
of August II to Is, while Gen. Lee
was Allied commander in Italy.
Since then the withdrawal of Amer
lean forces has started, and Gen.
Lee, who had asked for retirement
last February, has returned to the
United States to be placed on the
inactive list.
Mr.. Ruark issued the following
statement in New York:
Il have seen the Army's report of
its investigation of my charges
against Gen. Lee and I intend to
study The report thoroughly before
replying.
In my own good time I will have
the necessary answer to the Army's
findings in the case"
Few Isolated Cases Found.
Gen. Wyche, who with members
of his staff conducted an investiga-
ton in Italy from August 18 through
September II, reported he found
only "a few isolated cases of malad
ministration and probable miscar-
riage of justice, none of which were
condoned and fostered by Gen.
Lee" He added none would re
fleet properly the true overall, con-
ditions within the theater." The
detailed report ran to 10000 words
and included a summary of Mr.
Ruark's movements while in the
theater.
Gen. Wyche said Mr.. Ruark
charged in general that, while Gen.
Lee and his staff are living in luxury
the enlisted men are ill-housed and
'ill-fed and are subject to mass in
timidation, to frightful misuses of
the privileges of rank, to brutal, de-
grading and humiliating treatment,
and to outrageous violations of per-
sonal integrity"
The columniSt also gave the i'm
preston, the inspector general said,
that there have been fragrant mis-
uses of Government property and
lavish waste of taxpayers money,
all of which are condoned and fos-
tered by Gen. Lee"
Wyche Disagrees.
In this regard, Gen. Eisenhower
wrote: ''The inspector general
specifically disagrees with the al
legation that Gen. Lee has lived in
extravagant style or made improper
use of such facilities as trains, planes
and cars.
The evidence submitted seems
clearly to justify the inspector gen.
erals conclusions on these items. In
this connection, the same type of
facilities are used by our command
ers in all theaters and, from personal
experience, I can testify, without
them, no single person could posi-
bly, perform the duties we expect and
demand of our commanders in each
of these critical spots.
''The conclusion of the inspector
general is that Mr.. Ruark has pre-
lSee LEE. Page A-4.l