LaGuardia Speaks Twice, Urges Social Progress, Hits Nazis' 'Brutal Invasion' of Norway, Denmark

"Going into government does not mean going into politics. If you go into government, for God's sake be unorthodox. I don't think I would have lasted five minutes in any party," Fiorello LaGuardia, Mayor of New York City, told 350 Seniors in Eliot House last night.

Speaking at a special Senior dinner, the Arizona-bred statesman urged his hearers not to oppose social change, and said, "We are turning over to you a perfect plant, if you know how to handle it. This country is worth saving. See that our natural abundance is shared by all the people."

From Eliot House LaGuardia moved to the Indoor Athletic Building to address an audience of 600 at an open meeting.

Hits German Invasion

Opening his speech there with a bitter condemnation of Germany's invasion of Norway and Denmark, he said, "The world is unhappy. I know I am after what happened 48 hours ago--it gives us all pause. We have seen a brutal invasion of a peace-minded people minding their own business."

International law, he added, "cannot be upheld by written agreements with certain nations. We've got to be prepared to speak the only language they understand, and chase them off this hemisphere if they try to come over here."

Defends Public Works

The Mayor went on to make a plea for the continuation and extension of government social services, and vigorously opposed wage-cutting and scaling down of unemployment relief. He urged the establishment of uniform taxes and labor standards, the continuation of public works to alleviate chronic unemployment, and the shortening of the working week to put more men to work.

At the Senior dinner the Mayor was introduced by Elliott C. Cutler '09, president of the Alumni Association, who spoke briefly on the organization of Harvard's alumni. Langdon P. Marvin, Jr., '41 presided at the Indoor Athletic Building meeting.