Evening star., 1944-03-16
Presidents S Poll
Due 10 Decide
Vote Bill Fate
Some Predictions of
Approval Voiced
On Capitol Hill
fSee Roll Call, Page A-{.)

ed Tor the White House today
and, although there were some
predictions that it would be ap-
proved by President Roosevelt,
the final decision may rest on a
telegraphic poll of Governors
started late yesterday by the
President.
The measure is designed to COM
promise Federal and State ballot
plan differences but 1t is heavily
laden with State controls.
The original administration bill,
scored by States rights adherents
as "bobtailed" ballot, provided
blank spaces for the writing in Of
choices for President and members
of Congress, but no State officers.
The congressionally approved
measure-passed by the Senate, Al
to 81, and by the House, 273 to Ill
provides that State ballots must be
used by servicemen in this country.
they may use the Federal
ballot provided they applied for a
State ballot by September / and did
not receive one by october /.
Certification by Governors.
Another provision-and one which
prompted the presidential poll-re-
quires that the Governor of the
State involved must certify by July
IS that use of Federal ballot Is
valid under the laws of that State.
Stephen T. Early. White House
secretary, expressed doubt today
that there would be any appreciable
response from the Governors for two
or three days.
In an Associated Press check Of
the Governors, approximately 80 re-
plies were received, 81 saying they
had not yet received the Presi-
dents message and could not COM
ment until they had studied the
question more thoroughly. Five in
dicated that State legislation al
ready provides for a service vote,
one-Gov. Earl Warren of Califor-
nia-said the compromise ballot
would jibe with local laws, and four
indicated that 1t probably would be
found satisfactory.
At Lansing, Gov. Harry F. Kelly
OF Michigan said he would advise
MIR. Roosevelt that the Federal serv-
ice vote bill is "far inferior" to
Michigan's, but that it would not
interfere with administration of the
State ballot law, which gives serv-
iceman a complete ballot, with the
names of the candidates printed
the same as on ballots used by civil
ians and offering the opportunity to
vote for national, State and local
officials.
Two Questions Asked.
The President had asked the Gov
ernorS to inform him:
Il. Whether the use of supple
mentary Federal ballots provided by
(the) bill is in your judgment, now
authorized by the laws of your State,
and
q. If the use of these ballots is
not authorized by the laws OF your
State, whether in your Judgment,
II the bill becomes law, steps will
be taken to enable you to certify
prior to July Is that the use of such
ballots is authorized by the laws Of
your State"
Although Representative Rankin,
Democrat. Of Mississippi, leader of
the coalition which forced main
points of the States rights" plan
through Congress over administra-
ton opposition. said he did not be-
lieved that the President would veto
the bill because then there will be
no absentee voting law at all"
Primary Objection.
Mr.. Rankin declared in the House
yesterday that the bill was primar-
lily intended to keep the election
laws within the constitution and as
far as opposing the administration
is concerned he shouted:
I've been here through the long,
lean years when the Southern DEM
ocrats held the party together. All
the Frankfurters, all the Sidney
Hillmans, all the CIO can't run us
out of it now"
Representative Buckley, Democrat,
of New York, demanded to know if
Mr.. Rankin meant that the Demo-
cratic party is the party "of the
Jews"
"Oh, no." Mr.. Rankin objected,
but down in our State we carried
the State for AL Smith In 1928 when
you couldn't"
Representative Halleck of Indiana,
chairman of the Republican Con-
Committee, charged that
the President was still playing pol
itics."
Wrangled for Six Months.
The House completed action on
the legislation after six months
of wrangling.
Mr.. Roosevelt termed an earlier
measure passed by the Senate a
fraud on the soldiers and sailors
and marines-a fraud upon the
American people" That bill
dumped virtually the whole soldier
vote problem onto the States, with
no Federal ballot provisions what
ever. The big question now is:
Does the President have the same
opinion of the new bill, and If so, will
ne risk a veto after the defeat he
sustained when he sent back the tax
bill two weeks ago?
Some administrationists contend
ed privately that veto could be up
held pointing out that the Senate
passed the compromise only by a
47-to-3l vote, far short of the two
thirds necessary to override a veto.
However, the House vote was more
than two to one
Ninety-seven Democrats and IT'S
voted for the bill, with
IS Democrats and IL Republicans
opposing it. Three minor party
members opposed the bill and one
kAI Ia