Evening star., 1944-02-02
.SenateRejects
Move 10 NuI|ify
Federal Ballot
Vote of 68 to %
Poves Way for Soldier
Vote Compromise
(House Roll Call on Page A-4.)
BY ]. A. O'LEARY,

Inc senate today paved the
way for a compromise solution
Of the long fight over Federal or
State control of soldier voting
when it overwhelmingly defeated
4 States rights amendment Of
fered by Senator Overton, DEM
ocrat, of Louisiana, So to %.
The amendment would have re-
quired the validity of the simplified
Federal ballot called for the Green
Lucas bill to be determined "in ac-
cordance with State laws" and op-
ponents contended it would have
nullified that type of ballot.
Before the roll call, Senator
Hatch, Democrat, of New Mexico
said that if the Overton amend
ment carried, every State in the
Union would have to pass new
election status before the proposed
Federal ballot could be counted.
No Indication Shift.
The Senate vote came less than
"a hours after the Federal ballot
plan took a rebuff in the House
where members turned down a roll
call vote on the issue Of Federal VS..
State balloting, despite President
Roosevelt's challenge ito stand up
and be counted"
Today's heavy vote against the
Overton proposal does not, however,
indicate the same decisive support
for the Green-Lucas bill, which was
sidetracked in December when the
Senate passed, AZ to 81, the State
ballot Eastland-Ra bill now be-
ing debated in the House.
Thirty Republicans joined 81
Democrats and / Progressive (Sen-
ator La Toilette of Wisconsin, to
defeat the Overton amendment, but
it is believed many of these Repub-
licans will vote later for conpro-
mise prepared by Senators of both
major parties who believe the regu-
lar State ballot should be used
wherever possible.
Compromise Provisions.
The new compromise would per-
init use of the Federal ballot only
by servicemen and women from
States that fail to make available a
lightweight State ballot As days be-
fore the election and without re-
quiring registration.
Only seven Democratic Senators
outside the solid South voted for the
Overton amendment.
| The Senate also rejected, 50 to
l6, another Overton motion to re-
peal the provisions of the 1912 law
that waived registration and poll
tax requirements for members Of
the armed forces who cast absentee
State ballots in time of war.
Roll Call Move Defeated.
By a roll call of 233 to 160. the
House yesterday rejected technical
motion for change in rules, with
out which the Federal ballot pro-
posal is likely to be decided on .
teller vote, late today or tomorrow.
Supporters of the Green-Lucas
bill predicted the President would
not sign measure leaving soldier
voting up to the States. House Ma
jority Leader Mccormack said he
had no advance information on
what Mr.. Roosevelt would do, but
added, Il do not see how he could
sign bill that he has called a
fraud, and rightly So
Nevertheless, yesterdays test vote
was taken to indicate the Eastland-
Rankin bill, requiring State ballots
only, is likely to pass the House
before the Senate disposes of the
Federal ballot plan it is now con-
sidering.
The Eastland-Rankin bill, should
it go through the House, would have
to be returned to the Senate be-
cause of minor amendments. The
administrations last chance to save
the Federal ballot then would be to
try to add tito the Eastland- Rankin
measure in some limited, compro-
mise form.
Compromise Based on Ball Plan.
The new Senate measure is built
around the Ball substitute, which
provides that the Federal ballot
would not be sent to any service
man or woman whose State acts by
June l to:
l. Eliminate registration in person;
2. authorize a State ballot weighing
not more than 12/10 ounces, and
3. make such a ballot available As
days before the election.
During heated debate in both the
House and Senate yesterday the
Presidents demand that members
stand and be counted" was the
target of sharp criticism.
The President may be command
er in chief Of the armed forces, but
he is not commander in chief of
the legislative branches" Repre-
(See SERVICE VOTE, Page A-4)