Evening star., 1943-12-04
House Unlikely
ToSaveFedera|
Soldier Ballot
Southern Senators
Succeed in PASSING
Substitute Bill
(Rol Call on Page A-2.J
By ]. A. O'LEARY.

House revival of the bill the
Senate killed yesterday to let the
Millions in the armed forces use
4 simplifed Federal ballot to
7ote in next years election.
In surprise showing of last-min-
lte strength. coalition of Southern
Democrats and Republicans from
widely scattered areas pushed
through a substitute, which leaves
the States free to lay down the con-
iitions under which their service
men may cast absentee ballots.
Twenty -four Democrats and 18 Re-
publicans combined to pass the
States right plan, by the narrow
margin of AZ to st.
Senator Taft. Republican, of Ohio,
who opposed the substitute, sug-
gested today that the House could
still save part of the original OBJ
jective by restoring provision for
a ballot commission to assist in
and collecting the votes,
even though regular State absentee
ballots are used
Rankin Predicts Two to One"
From the House side, however,
came the prediction by Representa-
tive Rankin, Democrat, Of Mississip-
pi that the Senate approved SUBJ
stitute will be accepted there. two
to one" over the original Green
Lucas bill. The substitute was spon-
sored in the Senate by Senator'S
Eastland of Mississippi McKellar of
Tennessee and Mcclellan of Arkan-
sas, all Democrats.
In the closing hours of debate,
Senator Lucas, Democrat, of Illinois,
who joined Senator Green. Demo-
crat, of Rhode Island in drafting
the simplifed Federal voting plan,
asserted the substitute would pre-
vent practically all men overseas
and many in the camps in this
country from voting. He based his
statement on the ground that the
time limits fixed by State laws for
returning absentee ballots are too
short to reach men engaged ~ a
global war
Senators Eastland and McKellar
countered with the charge that the
Green-Lucas bill was unconstitu-
tional and might throw next years
national election into the courts.
Majority Leader Barkley told his
colleagues the States-right substi-
tute will have no more effect upon
procuring the right to vote among
the men in the armed forces than
the adoption of a pious resolution
by the Ladies Aid Society or the
Rotary Club of some city"
Propaganda Clause.
Just before the vote the authors
Of the substitute wrote into it the
amendment the Senate previously
had incorporated in the Green
Lucas bill, forbidding use of Federal
funds by any government agency
to transmit political propaganda to
servicemen by pamphlet, film or ra-
dio. Addresses could be rebroad-
cast to the armed forces over
seas provided equal time is allowed
opposing candidates.
The sponsors of the substitute
also accepted amendments previous
ly adopted. putting the Senate on
record in favor of permitting alb
sentee voting by the merchant ma
rine and by persons serving with
the Red Cross. the USO, the Society
of Friends, the WomenS Auxiliary
Ferry Service and the Womens Air
Force Service Pilots.
Only two features of the substitute,
however, would have the force of
Federal law One is the Taft ban
on government political propaganda,
and the other is a direction to the
War and Navy Departments to CO.
operate with appropriate State Of
ficers in distributing and collecting
absentee State ballots. The remain-
der of the bill consists of an invi-
tatiOn from Congress to the States
to enact laws to enable servicemen
to vote.
Expects States To Act.
Representative Rankin said to-
day he felt sure any States whose
laws are not adequate will call their
legislatures into session.
There is already on the statute
books the law passed by Congress
last year. which set aside poll taxes
for members of the armed forces
during the war, and also setting
aside registration requirements of
State laws for any servicemen who
were eligible to register under their
CfQto 1au-c Mnr,hn,c ~ In
were not sure last night to what
extent, if any, the newly adopted
substitute would affect the 1912 act.
Senators Eastland and Mcclellan
emphasized, however, that under
the substitute the States will de-
eide whether ballots should be
mailed out when the applications
are received.
The substitute recommends that
each State supply the War and
Navy Departments with postal-card
application blanks for absentee ball
lots, and directs the Secretaries of
War and Navy to deliver the cards,
wherever practicable and compati-
BILE with military operations. The
iofA law ulleCUSu lue war anu
Navy Departments to print such
postcard applications and distribute
them on February l, or as soon
thereafter as practicable, in each
year in which Congressional elec-
tions are being held
Point to 194z Election.
In seeking to have Congress ap-
prove simple form of Federal bal
lot that would have been distributed
to all servicemen without prelimi-
nary application, Senators Green
and Lucas contended that the 1912
law proved ineffective. In the No
vember election last year only $4,000
servicemen cast absentee ballots,
they said.
Opponents of the Federal ballot
argued that there was no Presiden-
tial election in 1912 to bring out
a heavier soldier vote.
In the House the subject is ex-
pected to go to the Committee on
Election of President and Vice Presi-
dent, which already has before it a
Rankin bill, similar to the Sonata