Evening star., 1944-02-11

facilities and the sending of politi-
cal propaganda through such facil-
tiles, it will produce ill-feeling after
the election.
More than ordinary interest
attaches, therefore, to the charge
made by Representative Clarence
Brown, Republican, of Ohio that the
full text of Mr.. Roosevelt's recent
speech on the soldier vote issue was
broadcast on short wave by the
Government but that the reply OF
Republican Leader Joseph w. Mar
tin was not accorded similar priv
ilege. :,
Mr.. Brown proposes that bi-
partisan commission of six men,
bers of the House of Representa-
tives be created to study and IN
yestieate the distribution of all news
releases and published material, In
Guiding motion pictures and radio
scripts which can in any way be
used for vote-getting purposes.
The War and Navy Departments
ought to welcome that proposal
because it would relieve them OF a
tremendous responsibility the awk-
wardness Of which they already
realize. If they could say that the
published material had the approval
of a bipartisan committee of Con-
gress there would be no justification
for criticism.
The chief problem, Of course, re-
lates to the soldiers and sailors who
are overseas. Newspapers printed in
English are rare and soldiers news
papers cannot possibly give any but
the briefest mention to political
news. Mr.. Roosevelt's prestige as
commander in chief is already a
considerable factor in reaching the
members of the armed services over
seas and he more than any one
else ought, therefore, to be con-
ceyNed with trying to give the other
side equal use of the facilities of
communication. It would be 10
strike for the Presidents own cause
If he did SO.
Nothing is more appreciated by
the average voter than good sports
manship on the part of candidates
and Mr.. Roosevelt starts with an
advantage over his rivals because
he is commander in chief and be-
cause officers and subordinates
generally are inclined to lean over
backward to make sure they are
giving the President ample space
for his addresses on any facilities
used.
The soldiers and sailors will
probably get their most effective
electioneering from the folks back
home. The cry Write to the serv
iceman" will be heard again and
again. Also it is not yet clear what
the armed services are going to
do about political discussions
Not few of the persons in uni
form now overseas have been &C
tive in either Federal or State or
local politics. 1t is their habit to
talk politics or to try to convert
their friends to their way of think
ing. What will the attitude of the
War and Navy Departments be to-
ward officers or enlisted men who
try to make votes for their favor
ite candidate? This will be espe-
cially important if any particular
day is selected for voting overseas
and if the officers who order the
men to march to the polls say any,
thing about their own views on
politics.
1t will be an embarrassing situa-
ton to handle and it would be
desirable for the War and Navy
Departments, once the presidential
nominees have been chosen, to is
sue warning about keeping poll
tics out of the mess halls and the
meeting places and letting each
individual make up his own mind
on how to vote or even about
voting at all. There should be no
"get-out-t -the-vote" pressure among
the troops and sailors overseas.
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