The Wilmington morning star., 1945-11-28
Fair Enough
BY wEsTBRooK PEGLER
1913. BY King Features Syndicat


best Mayor New York ever had may lie freely
granted He even had the special advantage
of contrast for he followed bad regime but
his character was an overwhelming handicap
and, while in some respects he was a better
mayor than some of his predecessors, his per-
Torrance in others pulls down his average
to mediocrity or worse. He had his fun in
mischievous way but the power and dignity
of government were discredted and the people
suffered.
Granting LaGuardia a generous allowance
for unrest and indiscipline which could be ex-
pected in an enormous city at time when
the people were breaking ranks after war,
and one so largely composed of aliens, he
still must be held responsible for the alarm
ing outbreak of crime in the streets He
cheapened the old authority of the New York
policeman by ridiculing him on the radio in
the vulgar and reckless manner of program
comedian and by giving some elements of the
population reason to believe that the standards
stinctively observed by them, were not obliga.
tory on the majority Of his own special politi-
cal following.
Early in LaGuardia's mayoralty the police
we're placed under restraint in dealing with
pickets and small details of union sluggers.
The communists took advantage Of this and
the New York cop was forced to restrain him.
self when some shrieking fury fror: Union
Square spat in his face or an organized mob
sprang into action, tunnbling law-abiding citi-
zens into the cutters on the obvious pretext
of dispute between some employer and
union. The New York policeman, on the aver
age, is not only an unusually fine policeman,
but a superior citizen and he was Inundated
and baffled in his new condition. Knocked by
the mayor himself, he was then, by this in
vitation, taunted and defied by people who
securely believed that they enjoyed special i'm
munities because they were ''underprivileg :
ed' and proteges or wards of the city hall
While he campaigned against "tin-horn''
cility TO promote his political career and a
radio personality Of cash value for his future,
two murderous goons one night attacked an
old woman In a place Of business which was
handling line of merchandise produced in
factory in another state which had been struck
by a union. Within 48 hours an excellent de-
tective had determined the identity of one of
the sluggers but, whereas LaGuardia had in
vited the police to beat up and lock up petty
gamblers on sight, they we're not permitted to
use the same methods here. The result was
another unsolved assault on the books and an
elderly invalid whose taxes were paid for DO
lice protection which the police were unable
to give.
Meanwhile, the subways became vile and
filthy tunnels and both the trains and station
platforms areas of mortal danger as the police
force declined in numbers, efficiency and mo-
rale. Holdups occurred in the cars from one
section came portests that young girls riding
to school were beaten by gangs Of the same
age 50 often that for ordinary safety they
were compelled to ride in numbers together
accompanied by fathers or big brothers
These conditions never prevailed before in
modern New York and this was the first time
in modern New York that citizens men as
well as women and children had to think
seriously before venturing out in some areas
and in the subways after dark.
LaGuardia's responsibility here goes beyond
the actual, practical problems of police work
for he has been emotional, reckless and flip
pant when his office called for dignity, i'm
partial firmness and an example of decency
On one OCCASION perhaps after an hour with
Mein Kampf he conjured children in his radio
audience to tattle to him If their fathers bet
on the races through handbooks. On another
ne tipped the news that shoes were to be
rationed so that his personal following in some
neighborhoods could rush to the stores and
stock up. He posed as a friend of labor and
labor's protector against the bosses but from
his own subordinates he could not tolerate
lmpudence or even disrespect and again, when
industry was derided for protesting against re.
troactve and capricious taxes and regulations,
ne angrily complained that he could not run
clty's finances under similar harassments.
Still again, excusing his dangerous failure
IN the duty of policing the city, he blamed the
courts tor uphoding the legal retirement
rights of policemen who watched the calendar
and quit on the dot to claim their pensions
because, under LaGauardia, they had become
disguised, disaffected and fearful that if they
should stay on, they might be tried on trivial
or trumped-up charges and lose their pensions
Presumably for his convenience he would
have preferred that the court deny the men
their legal rights.
Against the esthetic boon Of the removal Of
the elevated railroads, the terrible congestion
OF the buses is an offset and this has been
aggravated by lowdown strikes by a union
identified with the communist front and COM
phcated by snarling abuse OF the public from
some Of the drivers, another manifestation of
that ndiscipline and disorder which has flowed
from the City Hall for u years, marked its
times by blurts of the most revolving obsceni-
ty that ever passed the lips of man.
Such has been of the rule of Fiorello La
Gus rdia who undoubtedly had the ability and
the opportunity to be, indeed, the best
mayor New York ever had but leaves the city
nervous, unsteady and contemplating resort to
an emergency police auxiliary somewhat re.
miniscent of the vigi1antes
GO WEST, YOUNG LADY
We printed notice last week of baby being