Conflict Between Patton and Hawaiian Division Leadership During 1935 G-2 Assignment

Patton was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the regular Army on 1 March 1934, and was transferred to the Hawaiian Division in early 1935 to serve as G-2. During this posting, Patton feuded with his commander, Hugh Aloysius Drum, another Pershing protégé. At a polo match in which Patton was playing, Drum was among the spectators and rebuked Patton for his use of angry profanity during the game. The civilian players, who were members of Hawaii's wealthy elite on friendly terms with the equally wealthy and elite Patton, humiliated Drum by standing up for Patton. Patton followed the growing hostility and conquest aspirations of the militant Japanese leadership. He wrote a plan to intern the Japanese living in the islands in the event of an attack as a result of the atrocities carried out by Japanese soldiers on the Chinese in the Sino-Japanese war. In 1937 he wrote a paper with the title 'Surprise' which predicted, with what D'Este termed 'chilling accuracy', a surprise attack by the Japanese on Hawaii. Depressed at the lack of prospects for new conflict, Patton took to drinking heavily and allegedly began a brief affair with his 21-year-old niece by marriage, Jean Gordon. This supposed affair distressed his wife and nearly resulted in their separation. Patton's attempts to win her back were said to be among the few instances in which he willingly showed remorse or submission.