The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-07-28

Ine Democratic campaign will play that issue to the limit in every ramification Chairman Hanneeail and his fellow strategists can dis. cover or devise in hope of confirm. ing servicemen and their relatives in their supposed -Rooseveltism
 As one approach, Governor Dewey's refusal to go along on the federal ballot for servicemen is be. ing exploited. Here, thus far, the CI.O. left wing pro-Roosevelt or- ganization appears to be doing most of the ball carrying. It is Cover nor Dewey's contention that the Citizen Partisan Committed for the Servicemen's Vote" is a c I. O. left wing front with a thin window-dressing of Democrats and anti-Dewey Republicans.
 METHOD PROVIDED IN
 NEW YORK
 New York state has 100000 men and women in the armed forces For them. contending that the fed- eral ballot could not legally be counted under the state constitu- tion, Governor Dewey and the Re- publican legislature provided a sim- pie method of voting.
 All that the serviceman need dc is send to Albany, direct or through family or friends, his name. his pre-service street address (to deter mine his election district) and his service address to which the ballot is to be mailed.
 He will be sent exactly the same ballot he would use if he were vot- ing at home, which he is to mark and mail back to Albany, whence it will be sent to the voters nome election district for counting.
 Last year 62.OOO New York serv- icenen asked for ballots and 42,O00 of them actually yoted-two out of three. The state war ballot com mission estimates that 250,O00 of New York's absent servicemen are under age; some are aliens and others will not trouble to apply. Il $50 900 should ask for ballots the commission would expect, on tho basis of last years result, about 200, 900 votes.
 In a close election that number could easily decide whether New Yorks 47 electoral votes shall go to President Roosevelt or Governor Dewey. Mir. Dewey lost the gover- norship in 1888 by 64.394, and Her. bert Hoover carried New York in 1928 by only l03.48i votes. ITS DYNAMITE, THAT'S
 WHAT IS TT!
 What is considered more impor' tant-if the Democratic CLIO. coali- ton could persuade all serviceHen and their families and friends that Governor Dewey. fearing the sery- ice vote, is trying to keep soldiers and sailors from voting, their ac- ton might easily decide the result in several other states.
 For that reason Governor Dewey is trying to get across his conten' ton that it is as easy for New York seryicemen to vote under his law as under the federal; and thai whereas there can be no question about the legality of votes cast un. der his law, federal ballots might be tossed out,
 He claims that, for the sake oi embarrassing him, the CLIO. Polstl' cal Action committee, through front, is perpetrating Q fraud upon the soldiers and sailors by trylne to hand them the federal ballot.
 Tn time of war a court might hesi' tate to toss out soldiers ballots be- cause they did not include every of' flee at stake in the soldiers nome districts, but only the four offices for which the federal ballot pFo' Yides,
 The cIO says, "Take a chance Governor Dewey says, Let's be sure that those who do vote shall have their ballots counted"