The New York herald., 1921-09-11
HASKELL UNLOADED
BY PEOPLES LEAGUE
Anti-Blue Laws Body Trans
fers Support to La
Guardia.
SOME HEATED DEBATE,
Chairman Lawrence Declines
to Give Facts as to Con-
tributiOns.

The board OF management OF the
American Peoples League, an anti-blue
laws organization which heretofore had
aligned itself in support of the primary
campaign OF Judge Reuben j.. Haskell
for the Republican nomination for
Mayor. unloaded the Judge officially yes
terday and declared In favor of bis
rival. Fiorella II. La Guardia.
During the somewhat hea led two hour
session of the board in the Hotel Astor
1t appeared to be question whether the
league was repudiating Judge Haskell or
whether the Judge had washed his hands
Of the leagues support. Beta PROPOSE
tions seemed to be true.
Frederick Lawrence, chairman of the
advisory board, said Judge Hasaelrs
ostensible reason for regulating the
support Of the league was that he,
Lawrence, was not a Republican,. but
an enrolled Democrat. and the Judge was
not seeking Democratic support In the
primaries.
Mr.. Lawrence explained that. while he
had been an enrolled Democrat, he re-
sarded himself as an independent. hav-
ing voted for Republicans at times as
we'll as for Democrats. He said he
thought the real reason why the Judge
and his campaign manager Joseph
Early. were willing 10 divest themselves
of the leagues Endorsement was because
the league and certain of the motion
picture interests which haG favored
Judge Haskelrs candidacy had insisted
that he make more prominent in his
campaign his opposition to Sunday blue
laws. movie censorship ard the up
State machine made Rapid Transl.
Commission" That, Mr.. Lawrence said,
Judge Haskell and his close advisers had
deemed 1t politically inexpedient TO Co.
MY being an enrolled Democrat" said
the speaker, was the easiest available
excuse. and they took It,"
Mr.. Lawrence was subjected to n rapid
fire Interrogation. both from the chair
and from the floor. He was asked. among
other riddles, what truth, il any, there
was in the charge that he is a Hearst
agent
That Is absolutely untrue" replied
Mr.. Lawrence. Judge Haskell on two
occasions asked me to go to Mr.. Hearst
to ask the newspaper proprietor to be
friendly to his (Judge Haskelrs) can
didacy in the primaries. or, IL he could
not be- friendly. to be at least neutral.
/ gladly would have done that IL I had
thought there would have been any
chance of success"
Replying TO Otner questions, Mr.. Law
renee said the league had incurred a
total Indebtedness of $442 in the interest
of the Haskell campaign. That sum 1t
would be up to the management Of the
league to pay. as II had been understood
with the Judge that the league was to
meet all its own expenses.
James Steiner, one OF the pronounced
La Guardia champions, prodded Mr..
Lawrence persistently In an effort to
ascertain what sums. II any. he, Law
renee, had been instrumental In collect
ing from motion picture interests in the
furtherance of the Haskell canvass Mr..
Lawrence parried all such queries with
the assertion that he would go to Jail
rather than reveal any such informa :
tion. IL he had any. and that 1t was the
sworn, obligation of every candidate
later to report all contributions toward
his campaign fund. together with their
sources. @+f
When the meeting took up the ques-
tion whether, having repudiated Judge
Haskell, the league should transfer the
pledge OF It's support to any other Re-
publican candidate, Mr.. Lawrence ad-
vised that the organization stand pat
Mr.. Steiner offered a resolution pledg-
ing to La Guardia the league members
active support at the primaries. 1t was
passed with three or four voices In op-
position.
The meeting resolved itself into a
committee of the whole and went to the
Netherland Hotel headquarters to min
gle in q love feast with the Major.