Evening star., 1943-05-23
Vote Of Armed Forces
May Be Decisive
In 1914 Election
Possibility Also Seen
That Women Will Hold
BoIunce of Power
81 the Associated Press,

oS INC ASSoclope0 frebS.
The multi-billion dollar Army
Navy supply bills sweeping through
Congress are warning to every
American actively or passively Wis
ioning the White House as a future
residence, and to all political ele-
ments on the home front, that the
next presidential race will be a
handicap affair.
An eligible absentee vote" rep
resenting a fifth or more Of the
probable 1914 total popular presiden-
tial vote is indicated. And there are
no precedents to guide conjecture as
to the effect that novel circumstance
might have on the selection of pres
idential nominees or ON the election
itself. 1t could make the woman
voter the decisive factor in Amer
lean politics in 1914.
The Army-Navy budget calls for
more than 11,000,0 900 men under
arms as well as substantial assorted
feminine auxiliary elements with the
colors as 1914 opens. AL Of them ex-
cept the under-21 group presum-
ably are eligible to vote by mail or
otherwise in both State primaries
and subsequent elections. Federal
enactments in 1912, when the service
vote at home or abroad aggregated
only approximately 5000 900, have
paved the way for full service par
ticipation in 1914 political decisions.
Voters May Total $1,000, 900.
The total popular vote in 1910
just shaded 50,000,O00. Normally it
should approximate 55,0O0,OO0 in
1914.
If the war still is in. full swing in
November, 1914, American armed
forces are apt to exceed 1000 900.
They could represent full Is per
cent of the probable popular vote to
be cast In November, and hold the
national balance of political power
decisively.
Yet 1912 experience, and before
that the results of the by-election
in November, 1918, which saw the
voters decree a transfer of control
Of both Houses Of Congress from
Democratic to Republican control
only six days before the German
surrender ended the World War,
furnish little clue to what might
happen in 1914 There are no avail
able compilations to indicate po-
litical trends in the armed forces in
either previous wartime contest,
or even that any very substantial
proportion of the men with the COL
ors took advantage of absentee vot-
ing rights.
Headache for Politicians.
Both were by-elections, when
voter interest falls off heavily in
any case. That is particularly true
among military and naval person.
mel at the front or in training at
home. They are more insulated
against political argument and ora
tory by force of circumstances than
any other voter group. Even over
the air waves political oratory can
hardly reach effectively any great
proportion of troops or sailors.
How to overcome political apathy
in the services without trespassing
against military requirements is an
approaching headache for all aspir-
ing 1914 politicians and party Or
ganiZations. For it Is clear that If
the soldier vote proves just scatter
ing affair. diffused among the 48
States from which the voters come,
another unknown quantity will enter
into the 1914 presidential election
picture.
That is the women vote. It has
not been clearly decisive factor in
any previous presidential election
since adoption of the suffrage
amendment. 1t could hold the
balance Of political power next year
and the women of America. in the
absence of the men at the front or
in war training, decide who Is to
lead the Nation to finally victory.