Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-25
Gen. Potion
Lives Again
InNewB Book
on PATTON. By

Semmes lavishes on his war
time commander. Gen. George
8. Patton. jr.. In this biogra-
ply does not make "Old Blood
and Cuts" q wholly iovable
subject. but the superb Tight
ing machine that Patton was
emerges crystal clear.
The Patton heirs gave re-
tired Brig. Gen. Semmes ac-
cess TO letters. diaries and
other documents hitherto
privy only to the family. The
author writes knowingly Of
George Patton. because he was
with him In both World Wars.
and the great tankman's own
words MI in the personality
gaps from earliest beginnings
to Patton's anticlimactic death
in an auto accident after
VE-Day.
A Bern Fighter
1t appears from Portrait"
that Patton-who had want.
ed to be q soldier from child
hood-may have been the in.
dependent, truculent man he
was within the Army's chain
Of command because he had
independent means. But 1t
also appears that he might
have been that way. because
Of his nature. even II he had
been entirely dependent on his
soldiers pay.
It likewiA appears that he
felt . strong family obligation
to be . soldier--almost as
though the Pattons were
American Cumberland Pat
ton records that he prayed
that he not receive the ''call"
to the ministry while In coll
lege because it might take him
away from the profession Of
arms.
Always religious. Patton also
was incredibly profane. This
belief In God and the implica.
ton OF after life. may have
had some influence on his APP
parent carelessness Of his own
life. Yet the man was o para
dox who seemed obliged con-
stantly to test his courage with
actions Of brayado and daring.
Sharper Soldering
Patton the disciplinarian
emerges in the book as q man
who rode rough-shod over Of
flcers and men alike when
they transgressed, partly be-
cause he felt 1t might save
their lives later through
sharper soldering and partly
through sheer anger ut having
his orders disobeyed. It Is
certain that he spared no
man because Of rank.
II the author tells all that
was admirable about Patton,
he also does not spare him in
the stories sthat made the
world laugh, anger or shudder.
Patton's poems are inter-
spersed at intervals. They are
fiamboyant and sentimental.
like the man. and reminiscent
of Robert Service or Rudyard
Kipling. n
When he landed in Africa
to command one prong Of the
1912 invasion, Patton demon
strated some excellent diplo-
matte traits. Yet nothing
could have been less diplo-
matte than the incident when
he slapped the hospitalized
soldier whom he took to be q
shirker. Characteristically
Patton apologized but his
whole career was made UP Of
stormy or sentimental phases.
His messages to his troops
were always charged with
emotion; his relationship with
Gen. Pershing was heart
warming: his flashes Of battle
field genius made him a terror
to the enemy; yet this is the
man who nearly worried the
life out Of his superiors even
while he was winning battles.
His speech at Knutsford. Eng
land. about how England and
America would rule the world,
got him In serious trouble and
other statements about the adj
ministration Of conquered
Germany got him fired.
A Paradox
Mr.. Semmes' account Of the
beachhead breakthrough and
the rescue Of Bastogne makes
the reader wonder how Amer
lea could do without such. men
as Patton. And Patton's frail-
ties arouse similar wonder
about how this Nation could
have spawned him.
This controversial man made
''deep" friends and bitter
enemies while he lived. but
the Semmes book demonstrates
that 1t is well for America that
he did live-and fight--when
he did.
JERRY oLEARY. JR.
A xAs -