Evening star., 1944-02-05
Senate Unable
To Get Quorum
On Soldier Vote
Saturday Session
Called OFF When
Only AZ Attend
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

The battle over Federal or
State control of soldier voting
was delayed today when the
Senate, unable to obtain a
quorum, adjourned until Mon
day..
After two roll calls showed "a
Senators present, when 4S are re-
ouired for quorum, Majority
Leader Barkley moved for adjourn
ment. He explained later he did not
want to spend the day trying to OBJ
tain quorum when it was known
that many of the Senators were
necessarily absent.
With Congress appearing to be still
long way from settling the ballot
dispute, the Senate found itself in an
unusual and complicated situation,
growing out of administration efforts
during the last two weeks to start
second soldier vote bill through the
| legislative mill before the first one
was disposed Of AS a result, the
Senate now has two separate bills OH
its door step.
One, the Eastland-Rankin, State
ballot plan, has passed both
branches, but with minor House
amendments that require further
Senate action.
Sharp Split in Senate.
The other is the Green-Lucas
Federal ballot plan, which the ad-
ministration favors, but which would
require further House action If
adopted.
The sharp split in Senate ranks
between the two plans was shown
late yesterday, when Senator Over
ton, Democrat, of Louisiana failed
on a tie vote, AZ to AZ, to get before
the Senate for final action the State
ballot bill the House passed Thurs
| day night.
If his motion had carried, Sen.
ator Barkley was prepared to offer
as a substitute the compromise
Green-Lucas bill. which in its pres
ent form would: Give the short
Federal ballot to all uniformed per-
sonnel overseas; Require State ball
lots for members of the armed forces
in this country, unless a serviceman
made affidavit that he could not
obtain regular ballot from his
State.
If yesterdays tie vote finally is
broken in favor of the State control
plan, the Senate will concur in
House amendments to the Eastland-
Rankin bill and put the issue up to
President Roosevelt. His friends say
!, they do not see how he could sign
that bill, after having called it "a
fraud on servicemen in his recent
message. A veto would put the
whole issue back in Congress.
Coalition Substitute Rejected.
If the modified Federal ballot plan
finally wins in the Senate, the House
again would become the battlefield.
That chamber could either accept
the limited form of Federal ballot.
or send both plans to a conference
committee for further compromise.
The Senate coalition of Democrats
and Republicans favoring States
rights failed, As to AZ. yesterday to
put through their substitute, which
would have retained the principle Of
the Federal ballot, but restricted its
use only to servicemen either abroad
or at home who could not obtain
State ballot. The coalition had
been confident of carrying this mo-
ton, but the administration tight
ened its lines at the last moment.
The Senate turned down, A to 80,
an amendment by Senator Ferguson
to require a voter using the Federal
ballot to write in the name of his
choice for President, Senator or
Representative, instead of allowing
him to use either names or party
designations.