FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SUNDAY, May 6, 1945

CITY OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

TEXT OF MAYOR F. H. LA GUARDIA'S SUNDAY BROADCAST TO THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK, FROM HIS OFFICE AT CITY HALL, BROADCAST OVER WNYC AT 1:00 P.M. FOLLOWS:

Patience and Fortitude,


WAR NEWS

Well, it just can not be long now. As you have just heard over the air, it is a matter of days, and perhaps not many days. Yes, the forces of evil in Europe are entirely destroyed and there remains but one or two pockets for reasons which a normal mind, of course, cannot understand. In the one week the world has been cleared of two evil men. And to think that these two bums could have brought so much misery into the entire world - millions of lives, destruction and devastation in almost half of the world! Had these two men been killed ten years ago, we might have had a happy world today. So far as the theatre of war in Europe is concerned, it is about over. I ask the people of the City of New York to wait for official announcement from Washington. In all likelihood, the war in the Pacific, and it has been costly in lives, will be over by the end of the year. At least, let us pray that it will.


MAYORALTY

Here at home, we have to begin thinking of our own City. Ordinarily, it would be rather early to talk about the City campaign in the early part of May. I would not touch upon the subject in nominal peace times until July or even August. The difficulty is, you see, that when one is in office and he declares himself a candidate, there is always pressure brought upon him, and it requires a great deal of resistance not to get the candidate's mentality. Everybody says, "You had better do this now or it will hurt you", or "I wouldn't do that; it will hurt you." Of course, I am not very good at that sort of thing. I just do things the way I think they should be done. In a government of my kind, it is difficult to keep the government together.

The whole political calendar has been advanced so that in a week or so the law permits petitions to be circulated for signatures for candidates. I have been told by many that there is difficulty in getting the various shades of color of paper required for these petitions - the law requires a different color for the different parties. Therefore, I do not see how I can delay much longer in announcing my position in the coming campaign.

When I started out in 1934, I knew definitely the kind of government that the City required. I knew exactly what I was going to do. I did not know how long it would last. It lasted one term; then two terms and now three terms. But in all my fondest hopes, I never dreamed that a non-partisan, a non-political administration in a large city in our country could be so successful. I never dreamt, I knew that the job would be hard, but I never believed that it would be possible to establish it so well as to get the endorsement and the living proofs that I have, that my kind of city government is the kind of city government that the people of my City want. Yes, I have the proof, the living proof. My friends, you must have noticed it too. Isn't it grand - there isn't a single, solitary County Chairman of either party who is in favor of my administration. Isn't that grand? There isn't a single, solitary district leader of the political machines who wants to see me re-elected. There isn't a clubhouse loafer who is not out shouting his head off against my administration. There is the proof, my friends, that these twelve years have not been in vain. We must talk now of what we are going to do and plan accordingly.

I want to express my thanks to Judge Samuel Seabury who has given so much to this City, who has made clean government possible in this City -he started before 1934. You will remember my campaign of 1929 when I told the City of the rotten conditions that existed here. You remember, when I was nominated by the Republican Party in 1929 and dropped the next day. That was a hard campaign. You remember that - that was a tough campaign. But it was useful, wasn't it? The charges that I made were so startling that it was said they could hardly be so but Judge Seabury proved beyond any reasonable doubt that all the charges that I made were true. I want to thank the Judge.

I also want to thank the group of friends who got together and petitioned, as it were, for my nomination. I know that you meant well, and I know that you were interested only in good government and I want to thank each and every one of you for your confidence, for your courage and for your unselfish interest in our City. But, of course, that is not my technique. When I want a nomination I submit it to the people and not to political bosses. But it did bring out the fact that we must select a Mayor this year and I want to make very clear that I appreciate their very kind efforts. I will not enter the Republican Primaries. I am not a candidate for the Republican nomination for Mayor.

Although there are other groups, I want to make it very clear again that the decision must be left to the people. I want to ask my very good friends of the American Labor Party not to nominate me and not to put my name on their petition. I am not going to run for Mayor this year. I have many reasons and I will give them to you. As you know, it has been so amusing to observe the panorama of the past four months. This panorama of politicians, yes panorama of scheming and conniving, to do what, to join forces to destroy a good administration. Of course, it is always difficult for gentry of that kind to got together, Erickson and Costello and Adonis and the rest of the racketeers, perhaps have not yet agreed. But have they not been confused? Have you seen all the maneuvering? Yes, and some very high officials holding certain offices, who are not supposed to be in politics, have been braintrusting, in some of this conniving and conspiracy. Of course, I knew all along.

My friends, this decision was not made yesterday or today. This decision was made back in 1941. It was also conveyed to our friends last Christmas when we had our Christmas cards printed. There is a little symbol on that card. Our friends know about it and if you have the card, you will see it. We conveyed then that this Christmas card would be our last card from the Mayor's House. So you see I have been carrying on with the full knowledge of what I was going to do, knowing that the job was completed. Now it is up to the people of this City to decide whether they want to keep the clean, decent government by the clean, law-abiding people in our City for the children of our City, or whether they want to return to political riff-raff, to the tinhorn chiselers, racketeers, and the tin boxes. That is for the people to decide, and it must be decided on that issue alone. For instance, at a recent meeting at the National Republican Club there was quite a debate on the subject - and there you have a level of intelligence which is somewhat higher than that of the district clubs. And what was the discussion? Will La Guardia support the Governor next year if we support him this year? How do we know that he will support the Governor next year? Yes, how would you know? I do not know, and I would not make any such dirty deal. I do not know whom I will support next year. It all depends on the issues and the candidates. But, what I want to point out is that the selection of candidates for Mayor should be made only on fitness and not on any political expediency.

There are many reasons why I think I should not run. First, there is always the danger of one becoming sort of stale in office, and I do not want to become stale at any time. I do not want to become indifferent. I do not want to become so calloused that I could not get indignant, yes, and impatient and lose my temper when I hear of graft and corruption and when I hear of crime and racketeering. No, I do not want to grow old that way. And then there is also a tendency that an administration may become satisfied. It becomes sort of smug and satisfied that it is doing so well. Oh, no, no, no that is not good. I want to keep on my toes all of the time. I want my government to keep on its toes all of the time and my Commissioners to be on their toes. A change is good. And then another thing if an individual is in an executive office too long he may become bossy, and they tell me that I am sort of inclined that way at times, so that is something else that I must look after.

But now, here is something that I think is important, I do not believe that in our form of government, chief executives should be re-elected time after time. The government of the City of New York is so large, that it cannot be compared with smaller municipalities. Our City government is larger and greater and more involved than that of any State in the Union, including our own. While it may be good in smaller communities for one to stay on the job as Mayor, I do not think that it is wholesome in a city or government as big as ours. Rotation in office is good and is wholesome. It is necessary in a democracy. It does not mean that because we have rotation it must necessarily go from good to bad and from bad to worse. If that were true it would indeed be a sad commentary on our democracy. In these times there is a tendency to rally around an individual - it is our democratic system that is important today, not individuals. If democracy cannot be maintained and improved through proper rotation in office, then something is wrong with the system and I refuse to believe that there is anything wrong with our democratic system. Oh, now, I can almost hear you say, "There goes La Guardia again, he is inconsistent. Did you not support the President for a third and a fourth term?" Yes, I did and under the same circumstances I would do it again. [AVAILABLE AUDIO BEGINS HERE] Under different circumstances I would not have done it. It did not require a great student of history or an expert on European politics in 1940 to know that our country would be involved in war. It did not require much of a military genius to know of our complete and utter lack of defense and of military preparation in 1940. I knew that even our own coast out here was not properly protected and that we had no real means of defense in those days. It will not be long before the real conditions that existed in 1940 and the frantic preparations and the building up of our defense of our coast and mainland, will become history.

I had some little part in the preparation of the defense of our coast and mainland, as a member of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense with Canada. No one in our entire country had the knowledge of European affairs and the grasp of the situation as did President Roosevelt. I did not like the third term idea, I do not think that the President, himself, liked the third term. I supported him because under those conditions and the danger that we were facing at that time, I considered it for the best interests of our country that the President should remain in office. In 1944, no other decision could have been made. There was no choice and, of course, the American people responded. A great many of my very good friends, who are really interested in clean and non-political city government, who worked hard to drive out the forces of corruption in City Hall and who were responsible for my election back in 1934, were hurt and disappointed that I did support the President in 1940. I did it with my eyes open for the reasons i have stated. I know that I was hurting my friends and that they were disappointed. I was sorry and told them at the time. I did what I believed was for the best interests of our country.

Now, of course, as these machines are created they have terrible power. My friends if, in 1934 when I came here, I had just played along with a political party, it would not have been difficult to build up a powerful machine in this State. Furthermore, I could have built up a personal political machine. But I could not have given you the kind of government that you have had for twelve years and that I know you wanted. The City would not be as it is today and I would not have been myself. I know politics well and you know that I know them and could have built up a powerful political machine. Others have done it and some are doing it in this State today. I was interested in the future of my City. I was not interested in my own political future. [AVAILABLE AUDIO ENDS HERE] Therefore, I did not hesitate. Look around your City now. Where are the politicians in office? Can Valentino and Walsh control any votes, or Carey of Sanitation, or Stebbins of Health, or Bernecker of Hospitals - are they County Chairmen or district leaders? McKenzie of Marine and Aviation, Moss of Licenses, Wilson of Housing, do they represent any political strength? Wilkinson, Salmon, or Pat terson, can they swing a nomination? But they know their jobs. Pleydoll of Purchase, Huie of Public Works, Murdook of Standards and Appeals, are they the political wire pullers and fixers of the old days?

Bob Moses, the builder, he tried it once. He could not got many votes for himself but he is a great Commissioner. These men just know their jobs and this is the big thing my friends, there is no fixing, there is no graft, there is no favoritism, there is no stealing. That is the big difference between a non-political, non-partisan, scientific government from the old kind that you threw out of office back in 1934.

Here are some personal reasons. I will be 65 in December. I still have, I hope, some years of useful service left in me. I have had the opportunity, during the past forty years that I have been in public service, of acquiring some experience and some training. I have worked very hard. I have had practically no vacation or rest since I have been in office here and that is twelve years. It has just been one thing after the other. What I would like to do is to go out and get some sunshine and a little rest and I want to store that up and conserve more vitality and more energy and just keep it in reserve in case I should have to come back into public service. I hope I will not have to come back.

If conditions are good after the war, if industry comes back and gets into great production and we have employment and prosperity and happiness in our land, then I think I have made my contribution to good government. [AVAILABLE AUDIO BEGINS HERE] But if we have a financial crisis and unemployment again and relief, and if we have conflicts between veterans and labor, or bitterness between labor and industry, then the administration in Washington will have failed. If our own City government goes back to corruption and racketeering and inefficiency, then that administration will have failed, and it will be the duty of those of us who have had experience to take hold again and to clean up again. I want to be ready to do that. In the meantime, I guess I will have to look for a job. I guess I can get one. Ordinarily, I would not do it, but I do not know whether we are going to have inflation or not. You see, Marie, the children and I, we live very economically, very modestly. We saved something, but nearly all of our life's savings are in the Retirement Fund, and if we do not have inflation, that is quite all right. We will manage and send the kids to school if they can pass the entrance examinations. Otherwise, I guess it is better to be prudent and see if I can get a job.

But here is something that we must find real soon. I am going to call upon all of my good real estate friends to help. We have to find a house to live in. We have been looking for it for a long time. This last fall, Marie went up in the Riverdale Section looking for one very quietly and it kind of got around.

The real estate man that we had died. We have to get something by Fall, because I think it would be kind of nice to have the house spruced up and tidied up for the new occupants. As we have to get out by Fall we hope it will be all ready. So I hope you will all help us find a house because it would be terrible to have to stay in office because we could not find a house to live in, wouldn't it?

There is one thing, my friends, that I want to make clear, because I know how the politicians with the loud mouths will howl. I can be reelected this Fall without any trouble. I can be reelected without the nomination of any regular party. To use the phrase that Al Smith liked to use in his day "I can run on a laundry ticket and beat these political bums any time," Why? Because the overwhelming majority of the people of New York City want good, efficient government because they like their City and they are proud of it. I can lick any combination of political parties, but I want to confess to you that I can not beat a combination of political parties in the State Legislature and in the State Courts. Sometimes I wonder if the City is not paying for it. I hope the press will be kindlier to our City under a now administration. It is just as much your City as it is my City, and it is manifestly unfair to our great City and its good people to take it out on the City because a publisher may not like the Mayor or may be disappointed that he did not get something that he wanted. The City deserves a better break.

[AVAILABLE AUDIO ENDS HERE] The thing to do is for all forces believing in good government to get together. It is not sufficient to select a candidate for Mayor but there must be a combination of Mayor, Comptroller and President of the Council. Unless you have that, three men who are devoted and will continue to be devoted to good government, the finances of this City will be wrecked. Just recall the history. Do you remember the condition of this City when I took it over? It was bankrupt. Everything that the City owned was in hock, was hypothecated, was mortgaged, and the City was paying six per cent interest for short term loans. In a year after I took office we were paying less than one per cent for these short term loans. So you must find men who have had experience, who have vision and who have courage. You can not get that from a college diploma. You must have character and there is no better place than in public office to bring out a man's character.

I do not believe I should make any one suggestion. I think that that is bad. President Theodore Roosevelt did, but it did not turn out so good. But there is a long list of competent men in this City who could do a good job as Mayor, any of whom I would cheerfully support. For those who come in office under the banner of clean government and who betrayed the part, I have nothing but sympathy.

They should read the twenty-seventh Chapter of St. Matthew and I will contribute the Fifth verse for their individual guidance.

If we all work together unselfishly, with only one thing in mind, I am quite sure that we can perpetuate the kind of government New York City has had for twelve years and which is being copied in every city in this country. We have established a new pattern, a new model for intelligent, clean, scientific, non-political municipal government. Yes, my friends, it has been hard, it has been very hard at times. It has been heartbreaking. Sometimes you almost get to the brink of discouragement. Sometimes you wonder, can you see it through. Sometimes you fail to understand why there is opposition to good and why there is criticism and constant fighting in order to make people better and happier, in order to eliminate exploitation and crime. And now, as I look back, it is a source of great comfort, this lineup [AVAILABLE AUDIO BEGINS HERE] against our form of government - there it stands. And to think that it was possible to remake a City, possible to come in, step into a tradition of corruption and inefficiency; a history of favoritism and pilfering; a system of patronage and to change all of that; to demonstrate to every writer of history in our country who became hopeless and felt that local government could not be good to prove that he was wrong; to take an antiquated Charter in the face of the combined opposition of the two major parties and have it approved by the people of this City, this great City, unique in its kind - nothing like it in the whole world - this great City of huge spaces that are too small, of millions of little people who are really big and people coming from every clime and country of the world, living in peace and happiness here, people knowing that their children will have the opportunity of an education in the most hospitable City in the world.

Yes, my friends, you gave me a job and I did it. Now I ask you to carry on.

Patience and Fortitude.