Whatever his Faults

Like an angry sun from behind storm clouds, Lieut. General George S. Patton Jr. popped out of obscurity last week. Not much had been heard of him since he was relieved of his Seventh Army command in Sicily.

Grim in his three-starred helmet, beribboned battle jacket, mirror-shined cavalry boots and butter-bean pants, "Old Blood & Guts" was photographed last week in England reviewing troops, and it was announced that he would command a U.S. ground army.

In such a role he would be subordinate to his junior, Omar Nelson Bradley, who is also tough but never brutal. General Bradley served under Georgie Patton in Sicily.

Apart from the soldier-slapping the fact remains that as commander of the II Corps in Tunisia (four divisions plus), General Patton distinguished himself in both attack and defense, took Gafsa and stopped the German Panzers at El Guettar, and that his record of success continued in Sicily.

Another fact is that for some soldiers Patton is a fierce inspiration. General Eisenhower, with too few battle-seasoned top commanders, obviously does not feel he can get along without the two-gun General, and does not intend to.

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