Evening star., 1937-12-05
Political Alliances.

Almost overnight Mayor F. H. La
Guardia of New York leaps into the
foreground as leading figure in the
American Labor party. Whether Mayor
La Guardia has acquired an important
and potential political backing or the
American Labor party has found a
leader big enough to rally behind and
60 places are still matters of conjecture.
What the combination of La Guardia
and the Labor party means in practical
terms to the Democratic party--the New
Deal party as it has become known
under the leadership of President Roose-
velt-is something to think about.
Mayor La Guardia in the past has
been strong supporter of the President
andsthe New Deal The President, it is
true, kept semblance of impartiality
in the recent mayoralty campaign in
New York. However, his chief political
ers in New York threw their influence
in support of Mayor La Guardias op-
ponent, the regular Democratic nomi-
nee, jeremiah T. Mahoney. The Amer
lean Labor party, which was organized
last year in New York to support the
candidacy of President Roosevelt for
reelection, swung definitely to Mayor
La Guardia in the mayoralty contest.
Here, then, was serious break in the
lines which carried the Democratic party
to victory in New York City and State
IN the last two presidential and guberna-
torial elections. The Republicans in
New York City, with a canniness which
the G. o. P, has not shown often in
recent years, fell into line with Mayor
La Guardia and the American Labor
party. The fusion worked 1t worked
so well that it may have put a decided
crimp In the ambitions of Chairman
James A. Farley of the Democratic Ma
tional and State Committees. It did
more than that. 1t showed the way in
which similar alliance could be sue
cessful, both in a gubernatorial election
in New York and in presidential elec-
ton.
1t would be bold prophet who said
that combination of the Republicans
and the Labor party would be sought in
New York Statewide or Nation wide
contests with the Democrats However,
such thought is at least disturbing to
the Democrats, who have considered
labor their greatest ally. There is an
alternative which is no more pleasing to
the Democrats. The Labor party may
organize nationally and run a ticket of
Its own in l940 There seems little doubt
that such party and ticket would cut
into the Democratic strength of 1886
far more than into the G. o. P.
So the future course of Mayor La
Guardia and the American Labor party
Is giving the Democrats something to
think about. They become a potential
third party threat, or threat in combi-
nation with the Republicans. Whether
the President had this in mind when he
kept hands off in the mayoralty race and
when he called Mayor La Guardia on
VIC eoACPiloilc W congratulate MIN on MS
victory and later met him in New York
to renew those congratulations, only the
President knows. But that the Presi-
dent will undertake to retain the friend
ship Of both Mayor La Guardia and the
American Labor party seems entirely
probable.
The next two or three years will give
the answer to many political problems
which are obscure today. The Republican
party few years ago had the support
OF large part Of labor. It may have it
again. The G. o. P. may appear once
again savior to the farmers, who de-
serted it in the last two national elec.
tions. Or there may be totally new
alignment, with liberal and a con-
servative party in opposing ranks. In
the meantime, Mayor La Guardia and
the American Labor party will bear
watching.