REPRIMAND FOR GENERAL

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 February 1931, Page 5

REPRIMAND FOR GENERAL

CRITICISM OF MUSSOLINI COURT-MARTIAL ABANDONED jEL LlO F FuT< ADMUNIST J? A T lON. (Inibm) I‘r-TW AMKicuitlun —By Blectrio Telegraph Copyright.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 3. The Navy Department announces that the plans tor the court-martial of .Major-General Smedley Butler, on account of his utterances concerning Signor Mussolini, have been abandoned and lie will be reprimanded instead. This action was decided upon after the Secretary for the Navy, Mr C. 1. Adams, had received a letter from Genoral Butler further explaining his reference to Signor Mussolini in his recent speech at Philadelphia, for which the United States Government apologised to Italy. In his letter General Butler said ho understood his remarks when he referred to Signor Mussolini would be conluied to the limits of the four walls of the club before which he spoke. He expressed nis (“Regret at this incident and the fact that my indiscreet remarks have caused embarrassment to the Government. ’ ’ Mr Adams thereupon issued a mild reprimand. Although general public opinion hud been to the cftoct that General Butler merited a reprimand for his indiscretion it is felt that the administration is considerably relieved at this disposition of the incident, especially since the trial had promised to develop sensationalism, which would have been embarrassing to nil concerned.

General Butter who saw war service in France and later was associated in the United States prohibition enforcement acre used Mussolini of being a “mad dog of war’’ and a ‘‘hit and run motorist,” alleging that the Italian Premier once ran over a child while in his motor car, but did not stop. Sensational developments were promised when it was asserted more recently that General Butler had been told the story by Cornelius Vanderbilt, junr.