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. . . In spite of his brilliant record in fighting the Germans, General Patton is now being smeared on every front page because he retained certain Nazis in political office. I know that there is no one with a more cordial hatred for the Germans than General Patton, but he is also a realist and a practical man. He has always used the means at hand to do his job as quickly and expeditiously as possible. And retaining a few Nazis in key position was a case of using the means at hand.
You can't just go into a country and tear out every vestige of established Government and administration and expect to get the job done quickly and efficiently. I was in both Bavaria and Austria, and I know. You have to use some of the old team for your own purposes until you can get your team functioning. In addition to that, our Military Government teams, in spite of all their publicity, were nothing to write home about. . . .
But even if General Patton was in the wrong and did make a mistake, why couldn't he have been assigned to duty in the U.S. without all this smearing and mud-throwing? Why didn't the powers that be have him reassigned and then point out to the public that it was done to give him a rest? After all General Patton has been overseas for over three years with only a few days at home.
General Patton is a great commander and an honest man. Every time that he has gotten into trouble with me public it has been because he stood up on his hind legs and told the truth. The truth always hurts.
(ARMY OFFICER'S NAME WITHHELD)
Whiteriver, Ariz.
How To Eat Toothpaste?
Sirs:
It was certainly good news for us suicide contemplaters to learn that "people who really want to commit suicide could do it almost as easily . . . by eating a lot of toothpaste . . ." [TIME, Oct. 1].
How do you eat a lot of toothpaste? By diluting it in water and gulping it down? By decapping the tube and swallowing it whole and having somebody jump on your tummy? Or do you just brush your teeth continually without spitting? . . .
J. J. D. BRUNKE
Ottawa
¶ Just spread it on a piece of bread.—ED.