Evening star., 1941-09-14
La Guardia 10 Face
Davies in New York
Primary on tuesday
Mayor Wins Backing
OF Citizens Union dnd
Dewey for Reelection
Sy the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Sept l3.-Fiorello
La Guardia. in quest of a third
term as New York City's Mayor,
will oppose former president of
the National Republican Club for
the Republican nomination in a
primary election Tuesday-without
vet having made single campaign
speech.
The fusion Mayor, who today won
the Endorsement of District Attorney
Thomas E. Dewey and the Citizens
Union, will run against John r.
Davies who had TO go to the Court
of Appeals for the right to COM
pete after he was ruled off the ballot
bv Supreme Court Justice Ferdi-
nand Pecora who declared his nomi-
mating petition was saturated with
fraud"
The decision by Justice Pecora,
who said the petitions contained
fewer than the required 5000 valid
signatures, was reversed by the
appellate division. The Court of
Appeals then upheld the verdict OF
the appellate division in 5-to-2
decision. saying it agreed with the
lower court decision that upon all
the evidence we find that the petit
tion of the appellant davies con-
tains 6,182 valid signatures,
Didn't Blame Davies.
In his decision, Justice Pecora
said that he did not blame Mr..
Davies personally, but that the fault
APPARENTLY lay with some of his cam
paign workers.
Although Mayor La Guardia
waged no active campaign, his sup
porters expressed the opinion that
his case was strengthened by the
fraud charges and judicial ruling
against the Davies petition, despite
Mr.. Davies subsequent reinstate-
nent.
An indication of further substan-
tial support for Mayor La Guardia
came from Washington, where as
sociates of Wendell L. Willkie, 1910
G. o. P. presidential nominee. said
Mr.. Willkie would campaign ac-
lively for Republican candidates
backing President Roosevelt's for
eign policy. Mr.. La Guardia comes
within that category.
Declaring his objective was to
get La Guardia off the Republican
ticket" Mr.. Davies said yesterday
he had offered to withdraw from the
race if the Mayor promised not to
work against the next G. o. P. can
didates for Governor and President
He added that the Mayor wouldn t
make the promise.
Mayor Too Busy to Comment.
Informed of this statement, Mayor
La Guardia said:
Il am too busy with really serious
matters to make any comment on
that"
In a radio talk last night Mr.
Davies listed reasons for his op-
position to Mr.. La Guardia, whom he
described as "a Republican when il
suited his convenience" a Socialist
when it suited his convenience" and
an independent when it fitted his
schemes"
He said he was against dividing
Americans into classes and char
acterized the American Labor party
whose right wing has vouched its
support to La Guardia, as un-
American and declared his opposi-
ton to any alliance between the Re-
publicans and the A. L. P. or with
"opportunists" who compromised
Republican principles to get jobs.
The Mayor, he said. sought to
destroy the two-party system, while
he, Davies. favored it.
Mr.. Davies charged that Mayor
La Guarda was building his own
political machine by appointing
radicals and some New Deal and
Tammany Democrats.
He said the issue in the election
was not "Tammany versus good
government, for Tammany is dead.
It has been destroyed by Thomas
e Dewey and others. so that the
district attorneys Office is now out
of politics
Dewey Opposes Machine.
IN his Endorsement of Mayor La
Guardia, Mr. Dewey said the Re-
publican party was the instrument
of good government and sturdy sup
port of the cause of the people.
- 1t would be most unfortunate
If New York City should be turned
back to machine government
The Citizens Unions statement
OF support for Mr.. La Guardia de-
clared that the majority of Repub-
Leans shared with other citizens
the desire to keep New York City
in the front rank as an example of
successful democracy and good gov
ernment."
Opposing the Republican nominee
In the November election will be
William ODwyer, Brooklyns gang
busting district attorney. who is
without opposition in the Democratic
primary.