Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-09-21
BY the Asseeioisd Press

NEW YORK, Sept. 20.-Funeral
services for Fforello H. La Guardia,
the fiery little man who held the
New York mayoralty for three terms,
will be held at 2:30 pm. Monday
at the Episcopal Cathedral OF st.
John the Divine. Bishop Charles
K. Gilbert of the New York Diocese
will officiate.
Burial will be in Woodlawn Gene
terry in The Bronx.
Mr.. La Guardia, "a, the victim of
cancer of the pancreas, died early
today in his sleep after long ILL
ness. His strength and remarkable
energy had been ebbing since June
when an operation disclosed the con-
dition. He collapsed Tuesday night
at his home and had been in a coma
since then.
Foreign dignitaries joined with
American officials and public in ex-
pressing messages of regret at the
death Of New York's native-born
Little Flower" who directed food
shipments to hungry millions to
other lands as former director gen.
eral of the United Nations Relief
and Rehabilitation Administration.
The United Nations General As
sembly paused in a 10-second silent
tribute. City flags were lowered to
half staff Andrea Y. Vishjnsky,
Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister, and
Mayor William ODwyer of New
York were among the many who
issued statements of mourning.
Two doctors, Mr.. La Guardias
wife and his two adopted children,
Erik. Is, and Jean, 10, were at the
bedside in his home when he died
at 7:22 am.
Mr.. La Guardia enjoyed the conf
dence and esteem of New York vot-
ers as have few men. He was elected
mayor as a Fusion candidate in 1888
and served until January l, 1916,
when he turned his Office over to
Mayor ODwyer
His energy was prodigious. He
was called THE Little Man who Is
Everywhere"-and sometimes with
disrespect by those who considered
his actions hamboyant.
He went to fires in flreman's hat,
castigated tin horns" and gamblers,
banned burlesque, and was eternally
vigilant against dishonesty in city
administration. Wide brimmed hats
were his trademark and New
Workers knew their five-foot three
inch executive as Butch" or The
Little Flower"
Mr.. La Guardia assumed the
leadership of UNRRA during the
final period Of his last administra-
ton and his work won him the Le-
gion of Merit. highest civilian deco
ration of the United States Govern
ment.
He was the only Fusion candidate
ever to be reelected Mayor. Part of
his success in polyglot New York City
was due to his mastery of languages.
In his high. nasal and often shrill
voice he could address foreign groups
in Italian, German, French, Yiddish
or Yugoslav.
When he took office in 1898, the
city's credit was so low that it
couldn't obtain further financing
from the banks. But Mr.. LaGuardia
was persuasive and soon the bankers
did an about-face and accepted city
bonds.
He defeated Mayor O'Dwyer for
the mayoralty in 1941 but refused
to run again although he announced
Enthusiastically that he thought he
could win "on laundry ticket"
Was Mayor "a Hours . Day.
The job of New York's Mayor often
has been called the second biggest
and toughest-in the Nation. Mr.
LaGuardia sometimes said he was
Mayor a. hours q day. On what
might be termed a typical day for
him he would wade into city busi-
ness in the morning, fly to Washing
ton to testify before Congress, and
return home in time to hurry to a
fire.
Mr.. LaGuardia had been a member
of Congress before running for
Mayor. He was co-author of the
Norris LaGuardia Anti Injunction
Act and was known as a friend Of
labor.
In his Office he brewed beer" as
a protest against prohibition and
once waved meat cuts on the floor
of Congress to emphasize his pro-
test of high prices after World
War I.
He was too energetic to stay idle
after retiring from the mayorality
He wrote q weekly column for the
newspaper PM and became a radio
commentator, modelling his com.
mentary after the weekly talks he
made over the municipal radio sta
ton while still mayor.
Won Wide Audiences.
His unusual voice might be wheedl-
ing at one moment, then sarcastic
or scornful. He discussed anything
from recipes to world affairs, but
always forcefully, and won . wide
audience.
In the face of certain but linger-