Evening star., 1944-01-26
Service Vote.
Continued From First Page)

pIONcLucNL Ol StdCc ADSeIlLce DAllOI
machinery as the solution to the
soldier voting problem.
In fact" he continued, there is
now pending before the House of
Representative meaningless bilr
passed by the Senate December 3,
l943, which presumes to meet this
complicated and difficult situation
by some futile language"
The Senate bill, the President re-
called. recommended that the sew
eral States enact legislation to en-
able service men and women to vote
and this Recommendation" the
President asserted, is of itself proof
OF the unworkability of existing
State laws"
Il consider such proposed legisla-
ton 3 fraud on the soldiers and
sailors ard marines now training
and fighting for us and for our
sacred rights. the message declared.
1T Is fraud upon the American
people
Need fos Simplicity Cited.
Mr.. Roosevelt noted also that the
secretary OF War, who will have
the bulk Of administrative respon-
sioiiity for distributing and COL
iectlng ballots. has said that no
procedure could be administered ef-
fectively by the War or NAVY De-
partments unless it is uniform and
as simple as possible"
bespeaking adoption of the Green
Lucas-Worley legislation. Mr.. Roose-
velt explained that each State would
determine for itself whether the in
dividual voters were qualified and
would count ballots in the same way
as other voting tabulations are
made.
There Is nothing in such a pro-
posed statute which violates the
rights Of the States" Mr.. Roosevelt
insisted. The Federal Government
merely provides quick machinery for
getting the ballots to the troops and
back again.
The President conceded that the
particular legislation does not pro-
vide q simple method for voting for
State and local omcials, but he add
Cd that Congress does not have the
same authority here as in national
elections and that furthermore 1t
would not be practical to broaden
the scope OF the voting. However.
the President continued, since these
bills would permit a voter to use
the procedure OF his own State for
absentee balloting, If desired. he i,
given. to the extent that there i,
any possibility of doing so, An op-
portunity to vote for State and
local candidates"
This Is the second appeal the
President has made to Congress
recently on the question of soldier
voting. In his annual message on
the state OF the Union he urged that
the right of suffrage be assured sery-
ice men and women.
Meanwhile, House leaders had a
program mapped out today to side
track the servicemen's vote bill until
next week, in the hope of inducing
the Senate in the meantime to re-
verse its stand against a simplified
Federal ballot.
In the Senate the battle was re-
sumed today, with opponents of
the Federal balloting continuing to
oppose passage of another bill by
that branch until the House has
had a chance to express itself on
the measure requiring regular alb
sentee State ballots. which the Sen
ate passed before Christmas.
House Majority Leader McCor-
mack listed at least four other sub
jects likely to be called up in the
House ahead of the soldier vote
issue, including the conference
agreement on mustering-out pay for
returning veterans, and the indie
pendent ofiices appropriation bill,
which may take three days.
Senator Taft today will offer a
new alternative for the Green-Lucas
plan, but he also indicated he may
renew his efforts to bring the food
subsidy issue up before another vote
Is taken on the Federal ballot plan
Tor servicemen.
The Taft substitute eliminates the
Federal ballot, but retains a Federal
War Ballot Commission to Cooper
ate with the States in simplifying
their laws and in transmitting the
State ballots to and from the fight
ing fronts.