ARMY & NAVY: Reduced

Alexander S. Williams, Colonel U. S. M. C., was sentenced last week, sentenced because found guilty of having had too many cocktails one evening in San Diego when he entertained his commanding officer, Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler (TIME, May 3). Secretary Wilbur announced: “Light sentence was given on the recommendation of General Lejeune, commandant of the marine corps, who asked leniency because it was the Colonel’s first offense.”

What the sentence consisted of was “reduction of four numbers in grade,” meaning that Colonel Williams now stands No. 22 instead of No. 18 in the queue of Colonels waiting to be made Brigadier Generals. He will have to wait in line about six months or a year more than he would had he not invited General Butler to his party that night. Later, Colonel Williams was transferred from San Diego to San Francisco, put in charge of the western recruiting service.