The Washington herald., 1916-01-22
By f. b. JOHNS.

While the legal authorities. both in the
War Department and outside have been
wrestling with the legal status of the Ma
tionsl Guard. the continental army and
reserves for the regular army, II remains
for Aaron Helme. of Nevada. Missouri,
former gunners' mate OF the navy. to call
attention to the Constitution of Missouri
and the laws of a number of states which
may disqualify all members of any fed
eral force from exercising the right of
suffrage. such a development, it is rec
ognized, may prove fatal not only to the
continental army but to any effort to
federalize the National Guard and secure
reserves for the army and navy.
Gunner Helme expressed a desire to en-
list in the naval reserve, but he declared
that he could not afford to sacrifice his
rights as provided for in the Constitution
Of Missouri. He says Section reads as
follows: Officers, soldiers. marines dis
qualified. No officer. soldier or marine
of the regular army or navy of the
United States shall be entitled to vote at
an election in this State
From the Naval Reserve act OF March,
1915, am Of the opinion that l would be
considered under the control and governed
bS the articles Of the government of the
navy regulations and instructions and In
the same status as regular enlisted
man. believe that the Naval act is
good thing. but l think that the laws of
the states should be made to conform
With it so that naval reserves should be
entitled to the right Of suffrage.
While the authorities at the War and
Navy departments are not ready to dis
cuss the new development in the legal
features of the proposed legislation, 1t
is known that they are looking up the
State statutes on the political rights Of
men in military and naval service. 1t
is APPARENT that such State laws would
practically prohibit the raising Of a
large force Of trained citizen soldiers
Nothing like the number of men provided
for in the War Departments continental
army would sacrifice their political rights
to enter a Federal army. In the Missouri
constitution much of course depends upon
the construction that would be placed
upon the words regular army and navy"
1t might be argued that this does not
| include reserves for the army and navy
and continental soldiers.
Attention is called to the fact that
volunteer soldiers were allowed to exer-
else the right of suffrage although they
were in the Federal service. The conti-
mental army, IL is claimed, would be OF
the same status as the volunteer troops
and therefore would not come under the
Missouri constitution. There area num-
Der OF States that have statutes depriv-
ing officers and men in the regular serv-
Ice of their political rights which are
broader than the Missouri constitution
and these are being looked up to deter
mine just how they would affect the
status for army and navy reserves.
When the subject has been looked into
the Federal authorities viii probably call
the attention of the States to laws which
discriminate against those who arc IN
the military service. At ti;ue when
Congress is planning TO enact legisla-
ton to secure trained ci'ian ldi RS,
State laws which would deprive any one
who is patriotic enough to enter the serv-
ice of his country Of his poll icai rights
will be obnoxious to the people at large.
The establishment of one and possibly
two submarine bases on the New Eng
land coast is being planned by the Navy
Department For this purpose Congress-
will be asked 10 appropriate 81 eco 900
| The location has not been finally deter
mined on, but In all probability if there
tla tn be only ona base IL viii hA at po-+s-