Evening star., 1944-01-16
House Fight Impends
Over Veterans Paw
And Soldier Vote
By ]. A. OLEARY.

House leaders face a battle
early this week over the amount
OF mustering-out pay for return
ing veterans, to be followed by
the equally controversial issue OF
State or Federal ballots for serv-
icemen in the coming election.
A bipartisan group of House men,
bers made plans yesterday to try
to increase the rates approved by the
House Military Affairs Committee
Of $500 for so days or more Of service
in or out Of the United States, and
500 for less than 60 days.
The Senate passed q bill before
Christmas granting pay ranging
from 5000 to $500, depending on
length Of service and time spent
overseas.
Lemke Backs Raise.
Speaking for group OF House
members who are preparing to ad-
vocate scale ranging from 500
to s700, Representative Lemke, Re-
publican, of North Dakota, declared:
1--WE have billions for everyone
else, and now, with more than ,OO0,-
600 already discharged from the
armed forces, I think we should give
them enough to tide them over the
period of readjustment to civilian
life"
A preliminary skirmish is sched-
uled for tomorrow morning, when
the Rules Committee meets to
recommend the length of debate
and the conditions governing
amendments. Mr.. Lemke said the
House should be given at least two
days to consider the issue.
The conflict over the form of
servicemen's voting legislation went
on, meanwhile, with House aiority
Leader Mccormack denouncing
as meaningless and Ineffective"
the States rights bill passed by the
House Elections Committee.
Floor Fight Forseen.
His statement presaged a fight
on the floor late this week. or
early next week, to substitute the
Worley compromise proposal call
ing for a uniform Federal ballot
for voting for President and mem
bers of Congress, but with the
States passing on the validity of |
the ballots. The committeeman
proved bill calls on the States to
make regular absentee ballots
available to servicemen, and pro-
vides for their free transmittal bv
air mail.
With the Democrats divided over
the States-rights issue, the out
come in the House may depend on
whether the Republicans also split,
or give general support to the COM
mittee bill. After recalling that Re-
publicans on the committee SUP
ported the States-rights bill, Mr..
Mccormack declared:
I hope enough Republicans in the
House will be independent enough
to vote for an effective bill, but I do
not look for such a political miracle
Our soldiers and sailors, and the
American people, might just as well
know now as later that the bill re-
ported to the House is an idle ees-
ture. When it comes to passing a
bill that will allow voting by The
members of our armed forces. as
lar as Congress can effectively pro-
vide for, state rights" is the smoke
screen for the opposition to hide
behind.
1T is the duty of Congress as far
as Congress can go, to enable mem
bers OF our citizen Army and NAVY
to vote. The pending bill is woe
FULLY lacking in accomplishing this"
Four Republicans and three
Democrats voted to report the
States-rights bill, while five Demo-
Gratis voted the other way.
Although the States rights bill al
ready has passed the Senate. even
II the House approves it, renewed
efforts will be made in the Senate
to work out compromise providing
Tor one uniform ballot before the
measure goes to the White House.
The House committee has changed
the details of the Senate measure.
so that, in any event, it would have
to go back to that branch for ac-
ton on amendments. Three differ
ent compromises are pending in
the Senate, providing for varying
degrees of the uniform ballot plan.
While lines were being formed in
the House yesterday for the debate