Evening star., 1944-01-14
Federal Soldier
Ballot Beaten
BY House Group
Eventual Passage
Expected Despite
Latest Setback
By ]. A, OLEARY.

The House Elections Commit
tee reported out by a vote of Z
to an amended version of the
Senate-approved bill to require
servicemen to get their ballots
from the 48 States in this years
election, while a Senate commit
tee went ahead with plans to re-
open the fight for a simplified,
uniform ballot.
Senators Lucas, Democrat, of Il
linois and Lodge, Republican, Of
Massachusetts, both predicted before
the Senate Privileges and Elections
Committee that if the Senate gets
another chance to vote on the issue
it will approve some form of simpli-
fed Federal ballot.
Three Democrats and four Repub-
licans were reported to have COM
bined in the House committee to
defeat the Federal ballot proposals,
while five Democrats supported the
Federal ballot.
Floor Fight Promised.
Chairman Worley announced i'm
mediately he planned to carry the
fight for uniform ballot to the
House floor.
This action taken by the COM
mittee," the Texan said in formal
statement, means that most of the
II 100000 in the armed forces will
not get to vote in the next election,
This action will destroy their mo-
rale more effectively than all the
enemy bullets, bombs and propa-
ganda have ever been able to do"
L wonder" Mr.. Worley asked,
what the marines at Tarawa, the
Texans in Italy and all over the
world and the flyers over Germany
will think of Congress If this bill
passes"
Mr.. Worley is author of proposed
compromise bill by which uniform
ballot would be distributed to service
men and women.
Representative Rankin, Democrat,
OF Mississippi, leader among tbs
forces opposing a uniform Federal
ballot, took directly opposite view
from Mr.. Worley.
This measure reported by the
committee" he said, will enable ths
men and women in the armed forces
to vote in a legal, constitutional
election for all Offices from President
down to constable"
! May Adopt Compromise.
The testimony of Senators Lucas
ana Lodge bore out growing belief
In informed quarters that Congress
eventually will approve a compro-
mise. authorizing uniform Federal
ballot applied to the presidential
and congressional elections. but they
disagreed as to the scope of the com.
promise
1 Both Senators have drafted SUBJ
Stltutes designed to meet the objec.
tions of State rights advocates,
who succeeded before Christmas in
winning Senate approval of the
Eastland-McKellar bill, leaving SOL
dier voting to State control.
Senator Lucas, however, would
make the simplified Federal ballot
available to all members of the
armed forces, while Senator Lodge
would confine the Federal ballot to
those overseas. Members of the
armed services still in this country
would apply to their homes for the
regular State absentee ballot under
the Republican proposal.
Senate Group Recesses.
The Senate committee recessed
until next week without acting on
either of the compromises however.
and House advocates of the State
control plan, meanwhile, will en-
deavor to get that chamber to act on
the bill reported from committee
today.
The first showdown, therefore. on
a possible compromise may come in
the House.
Senators Green, Democrat. of
Rhode Island and Lucas contended
that thousands of service men in
camps In this country would be dis
eliminated against if the simplified
Federal ballot is given only to those
overseas.
Senator Lodge replied that he fa-
vored the original Green-Lucas bill
that enabled all in the armed forces
to vote the simplifed ballot for
President, Senators and Representa-
tlves, but added. 1--WE didn't get that
bill through the Senate, and 1 un-
derstood we were trying now to work
out a compromise to meet views Of
those Senators who fear an invasion
of States rights"
Drawn to Meet Objections.
The Republican compromise is de-
signed to meet the argument that
ordinary absentee State ballots could
not be mailed around the world and
returned in time, because of the
distances involved, whereas service
men still in this country could get
the regular State ballots, except in
the case of four States which have
no provision for absentee voting in
the general election.
Senator Green argued the Lodge
plan would prevent servicemen in
this country from voting if they be-
came 81 since leaving home, because
of registration requirements.
Senator Lodge denied the Repub-
lican plan would disfranchise any
(See SERVICE VOTE, Page A-l6.)