True Americanism Means Racial, Religious Tolerance Wallace Tells B’nai B’rith Fete

Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace, addressing a banquet of B’nai B’rith District Grand Lodge No. 1 at the Hotel Astor tonight, defined true Americanism as “synonymous with religious tolerance and racial tolerance.” The banquet featured the lodge’s 87th annual convention.

Introduced by Henry Monsky, international president of B’nai B’rith, Mr. Wallace appealed to all to “do everything we can to make America God’s chosen land, the land of equal opportunity for all.” His address was broadcast over the NBC blue network.

In an address at the convention luncheon this afternoon, Mayor Fiorella H. LaGuardia denounced dictatorships and pleaded for absolute and complete freedom of speech. “There is no such thing as selective freedom of speech,” he said. “As long as I am Mayor of the City of New York, I am going to protect the fundamental principles of the American government and the fellow who disagrees with me will have just as much right to his say as anyone else. What is going to happen to this country if any executive, or group of executives, has the right to say who has the right of free speech?”