Evening star., 1941-08-10

pohoiihiS idSoAiC, tlS VIII uidhS q iiioiS uSe
fulmember. The stuffed shirt" (LaGuardas
pet epthet for certain types of politicos) was
never the same again.
Both as Congressman and Mayor, he has
been branded as wild and radical" a
"prima DONNA" ''show-off" and ''sensa-
tionalist."
Certainly, he is a spectacular and colorful
figure, sometimes melodramatic. He admits it
and explains why. He believes that in this day
ofradios, automobiles, movies, wars and daily
distractions, the man with worth while mes
sage or policy must dramatize both them and
himself to stir public interest and support.
When he sought to impress Congress with
the need to check the rising cost of living, he
stood before his fellow Congressman and
extracted small but expensive cuts of steak
from his pockets.
He ridicued Prohibition by setting up a
bar in the House Office Building. donning an
apron and making bootleg drink out of two
legal beverages "a per cent malt tonic and
near beer. He repeated the stunt on Broad
way, and almost wept when the Irish cops he
row bosses begged for schooner instead of
aresting him. The drys hated and feared the
member from Manhattan more than their
more academic foes on Capitol Hill
The "Congressmon-of-Lorge"
k1E WAS - and still is "a gargantuan gad-
fly He prevented many bad bills from becom-
ing law by his objections and exposures of
their jckers He loves baseball, but when
other members slipped out to the Washington
ball park. the little figure in the blue serge
suit was in his seat in the House - or stand
ing beside it - arguing, pleading, fighting,
gesticulating.
For all his didoes and dynamics or be-
cause of them - his colleagues knighted him
with the soubriquet of Congressman
Large" The press gallery voted him the
most serviceable member" year after year,
and they know phoney when they see one.
I'll tell you this about LaGuardia," said
Jack Garner many years after the former had
quit Capitol Hill. Il never knew him to fight
foul or to make promise that he didn't keep"
He is not the saturnine, scowling figure
that his photographs - or his career - make
him cut to be. There is usually whimsy be-
hind the Mayors mcst serious performances
Some years ago he replied rather scornfully to
Nazi protests when New Workers desecrated
Hitler's swastika. But when the German con-
sui sought police protection against an angry
pcpulace. LaGuardia gave it gladly He
assigned three of his huskiest Jewish cops to
the man from Berlin.
Subsequently. the Mayor consigned Hitler
to the Chamber of Horrors. 1t provoked
furious protest from Berlin, and LaGuardia
was criticized for endangering international
relations. But Ccrdell Hull and President
Roosevelt privately congratulated him, the
chief executive greeting him with an cut
stretched arm and Hell! LaGuarda!" the
next time he visited the White House
LaGuardia, fortunately for himself, often
smiles at his own antics and adventures
Referring tc his relationship with the Pres
ident, he once said with a quizzical grin:
''lcu knew - the President calls me My
Boy, FiorellC. He knows that l am cnly one
year younger than he is, for we have often
discussed our ages. wonder if he wants to
make me feel as little as am
Despite their personal ard political in
timacy, the Mayor does not like to feel him
self under obligation tc the President On
the eve Of the 1887
Mayoralty election,
Ed. r. sent LaGuardia