Big Business, through its control of both major parties, is expanding this country's "imperialist empire" at an "express train rate," said Vincent Hallinan, Progressive Party candidate for President in his speech to the Young Progressives in New Lecture Hall yesterday.

Earlier, in an interview with the CRIMSON, Hallinan deplored the "unhealthy tendency to conformity among the collegiate youth of this country."

In his speech, marred by frequent interruptions from a number of vociferous hecklers, Hallinan lashed out at the Korean war as a move to protect U.S. business interests in South Korea.

Since both the Republican and Democratic parties are controlled by essentially the same financial groupings, Hallinan said ". . . it makes about as much difference to the average voter whether Eisenhower or Stevenson is elected as it did to the average New Yorker whether Al Capone or Bugs Moran ran the numbers racket."

In the interview, Hallinan said he is quite disturbed by the "lack of independence and eliches of thought" which be has found among 10 and 20 year olds throughout the country. He said that he has detected a pervading "self-satisfaction with ourselves, our institutions and leaders" and he urged that youth adopt a "healthy scepticism about everything."

Harvard, he said, has always had a "good liberal tradition." At the present time, however, he feels that it is somewhat "pantywaist" and hopes to see it adopt "a more militant and aggressive attitude, especially in the fight for civil rights."

In his speech, Hallinan outlined the three major planks of the Progressive Party: immediate armistice in Korea; a higher standard of living gained through strengthening the powers of organized labor: and equality for minorities.