NO COURT-MARTIAL

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 34, 10 February 1931, Page 9

NO COURT-MARTIAL

U.S. GENERAL BUTLER

FOR ATTACK ON MUSSOLINI

REPRIMAND INSTEAD

United Press Association—By Electric Telecraph—Copyright. WASHINGTON, Bth February. The Navy Department announces that the plans for the court-martial of General Smeaiey Butler have been abandoned, and he will be reprimanded instead. This action was decided upon after the Secretary for the Navy, Mr. C. F. Adams, had received a letter from General Butler further explaining his rofcrca.ee to Mussolini in a recent speech at Philadelphia, for which the United States Government apologised to Italy. In his letter, General Butler said that he understood that his remarks when he referred to Mussolini would be confined to the limits of the four walls of the club before which he spoke. He expressed his regret that this incident and his indiscreet remarks had caused embarrassment to the Government. General Butler informed Mr. Adams that he "very greatly regretted the incident." ' Mr. Adams then issued a mild reprimand. Although the general public opinion has been to the effect that General Butler merited a reprimand for indiscretion, it is felt that the Administration is considerably relieved by this disposal of the incident, especially since the trial had,promised to develop sensationalism which would.'havo been embarrassing to all concerned. General Smedley Butler, who saw war service in France and later was associated in the United States Prohibition enforcement, accused 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 Yandorbilt, jun.