The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-02-02

tContinued from Page D of the 1922 service voting law waived poll tax and registration require ments, notwithstanding any state laws, for soldier and sailor absentee voting for President and members of Congress.
 The Senate adopted unanimously without debate an amendment by Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg, R., Michigan, instructing the Army and Navy to give state ballots the same transmission prioritieS accorded federal ballots as far as practicable without injury to the wal effort. The Army and Navy have said it would be difficult to handle state ballots, SO there was doubt as to how much practical effect this amend ment would have.
 The House continued to debate the soldier vote issue in connection with previous Senate-approved bill calling on the states to facilitate absentee balloting by service per- sonnel. Final house action on the issue appeared unlikely before Thursday or perhaps Friday.
 Ballot Opposed
 It was disclosed earlier that Gov ernor Thomas R. Dewey of New York, potential Republican presi- dential nominee, is opposed to a purely federal servicemen's ballot like that proposed in the pending Green-Lucas Senate bill.
 Bridges made public a telegram from Dewey objecting that any bal lot which does not list state, county and local offices would not meet the requirements of the New York State Constitution.
 The Lucas-Green bill, endored by President Roosevelt, would provide ballots with blank write-in spaces for presidential, vice-presidentia and congressional candidates only
 If Congress passes 8 measure providing a ballot which does not list state and local offices. Dewey's telegram said, Tt would be incum- bent upon the New York legislature to a make available to every citizer in the armed forces from the state of New York a full and complete ballot"
 Congressional opponents of a fed eral ballot bill, meanwhile, claimed new support as t.ie House and Sen ate neared a vote on the explosive soldier vote issue.
 The Senate was to meet at II a m. with an agreement to vote by noon on at least one propose; amendment to the adlni1li jtra lon favored Green-Lucas bill which would provide a special federal bal lot for members of the armed forces to vote in next November's general election.
 The House was scheduled to meet at noon under a rule which alolWeo less than two hours general debate before it takes up the adrinistra- tion- opposed states rights bill pro- viding only state ballots for abSen- tee voting.
 House Rule
 The House rule also allowed only five minutes for each speaker on any amendments offered and anti administration leaders were confi- dent they could delay final Senate action until the House has reached its final vote on the question, either late today or tomorrow.
 The Senate agreement was to vote on the amendment by Sen. John H, Overton. D., La. which would stipu. late that only the states may deter mine the qualifications of @ voter. Overton wants to repeal the 1942 federal law which eliminated poll taxes and registration for members of the armed forces.
 Administration leaders were con- fident they could defeat the Overton amendment. They hoped. too, that once the Senate gets started voting 1t would sweep through half . doz- en others offered by Republicans and southern Democrats.
 An entirely new substitute, era- bodying some of the features of at