Evening star., 1944-01-12
Presidential Appeal
On Soldier Vote Fails
To Sway House Unit

Despite President Roosevelt's in
dorsement of Federal action to SIM
plify soldier-voting this fall, the
House Elections Committee is ex-
pected to 60 forward today with its
plan to report out revised version
Of the Senate bill, leaving control of
absentee ballots for servicemen to
the States.
This means the advocates of a
simplifled Federal ballot will have
to make their last stand on the
House floor week of 10 days hence
by trying to upset the committee bill
Senator Lucas, Democrat, of Illi-
nois hopes to obtain another test
Of sentiment in the Senate on the
once-rejected Federal ballot to cover
voting for President, Senators and
Representatives. But if the House
passes the Senate-approved States
right bill first, he may have difficulty
reopening the subject in the Senate
1t Is not certain how soon the
soldier-vote issue will reach the
House floor, but in the Senate. the
new Lucas bill, still in committee
must compete with the tax and
food subsidy bills for early con-
sideration.
Presidents Appeal.
Mr.. Roosevelt's call yesterday for
Federal unification of voting ma
chinery for servicemen got indi-
vidual cheers in Congress-but COM
pletely unresponsive committee re-
ception. =
Our soldiers and sailors and
marines know that the overwhelm-
ing majority of them will be de-
prived of the opportunity to vote,
If the voting machinery is left ex-
clusively to the State under exist
ing State laws" the President said
In his message to Congress.
Several alleged reasons have pre-
vented the enactment of legislation
which would preserve for our SOL
diers and sailors and marines the
fundamental prerogative of citizen
ship-the right to vote" Mr.. Roose-
welt continued.
mo amount of legaliStic argu-
ment can becloud this issue in the
eyes of these 100000 American
citizens. Surely the signers of the
Constitution did not intend a docu-
ment which, even in wartime,
would be construed to take away
the franchise of any of those who
are fighting 70 preserve the Con-
stitution itself"
Echoing the Presidents thoughts,
Speaker Rayburn told a press con-
ference that Congress should have
the courage and willingness" to
adopt a bill that will make soldier
voting a possibility.
Opponents Attacked.
A Southern Democrat. Represent
ative Flanagan of Virginia, took
the House floor to denounce those
who are invoking the question of
constitutionality.
Asserting the Constitution had
been used to justify many things,
the Virginian asserted that "the
greatest act of infamy to be COM
mitted in the holy name of the
Constitution has been reserved, it
seems, for the boys and girls in our
armed forces-for those, who, while
We debate and cavil over the right
thing to do, yes, the constitutional
thing to do, are laying down their
lives in defense of the very instru-
fOeDt that is now beinp inv0ked y
to prevent them from participating
IN the political affairs of the very
Government they are dying to save"
Holding that by passing the Sol
1iers and Sailors Civil Relief Act |
Congress had demonstrated it has
the power to protect the civil rights |
Of those in the armed forces, Mr..
Flanagan said it follows that it has
the right to protect their political
~;