Evening star., 1945-09-11
Hearing Called
5eptember25
.0nD.C. Suffrage
Hatch Backs Plan;
Seeks to Speed
Committee Action
BY DON S. WARREN.

bSAN AJs w 11AS1sL1N.
Calling for early action on pro-
posed amendments to the Con-
stitution-noW that the war has
ended-the Hatch subcommittee
of the Senate Judiciary Commit
tee today ordered public hear
ings for September Is on the
proposal to empower Congress to
grant suffrage to the disfran-
chised people of the National
Capital.
While announcing hearings on
this joint resolution, Senator Hatch.
Democrat, of New Mexico, the SUBJ
committee chairman. announced his
personal approval of the object of
the proposed constitutional amend
ment and said he would vote for it.
Il have always been of the con-
viction" said Senator Hatch, that
a member of political party should
support pledges which are made in
the platform of the party. The
Democratic platforms, more than
once, have called for extension of
the rights of suffrage to the people
of the District of Columbia There
fore, l believe we should act on the
proposal and I believe we should
carry out the pledge which we have
made
Amendment Proposed.
The national representation joint
resolution is sponsored in the SEN
ate by Senator Capper, Republican,
of Kansas, former chairman of the
Senate District Committee, and in
the House by Chairman Summers Of
the House Judiciary Committee, q
Texas Democrat.
1t proposes an amendment to
the Constitution, to be ratified by
the Legislatures of three-fourths of
the States within seven years of its
submission by Congress. The pro-
posed amendment provides that
people of the District may vote in
presidential elections and have rep
resentation in Congress in such
numbers and with such powers as
Congress shall determine.
1t reads: The Congress shall
have power to provide that there
shall be in the Congress and among
the electors of President and Vice
President members elected by the
people of the District constituting
the seat of the Government of the
United States, in such numbers and
with such powers as the Congress
shall determine. All legislation
hereunder shall be subject to
amendment and repeal"
Amendment Band Ended.
The Hatch subcommittee acted
promptly today after the full Senate
Judiciary Committee yesterday
brought to an end its policy against
cons d er ton of constitutional
amendments, now that the war has
ended. This policy was enunciated
as wartime measure because mil
lions of voters were overseas in the
armed services.
The doors were opened again, how
ever, with the wars end, because it
is assumed that by the time ratifi-
vation is voted by the States, most
all the veterans will be back home.
The national representation move
ment had bright outlook in the
House early this year until the Sem
ate judiciary group adopted its pol
icy. The No. l subcommittee of the
House Judiciary Committee, headed
by Representative Celler, Democrat.
of New York, reported favorably on
the Sumners-Capper plan, but later
the full committee voted 8 to 7
against placing the resolution before
the House for action, presumably be-
cause of the position taken on the
Senate side.
In desire to speed action on
various proposed constitutional
amendments, the Hatch subcom-
mittee scheduled hearings for three
OF them, including the District vote
proposal, for September Is. How
ever, Senator Hatch gave assur-
ances that additional hearings
would be granted by his group if it
were not possible to give desired
study to the plan on the single
day.
Asks Few Witnesses.
On the other hand, he declared
his belief extensive" hearings
would not be necessary and he
asked that advocates select a few
of their best witnesses.
TT is my hope" he said, that
the sfatep,ept of tho ,o.a r,;,, -
direct, brief and concise"
In addition to Chairman Hatch,
members of the Constitutional
Amendment Subcommittee are Sen
ators O'Mahoney of Wyoming and
Wheeler of Montana, Democrats;
and Wherry of Nebraska and Moore
OF Oklahoma. Republicans.
| Senator Capper, veteran cham
pion of the Districts right to vote,
has called for action repeatedly dur
ing the past year, stressing that
the failure to grant this democratic
right to District residents has been
strikingly and painfully demon
strated when District boys, fighting
Americas wars overseas, were "hu-
inflated" by having to stand aside
while those from the States were
given absentee ballots in the last
presidential election.
Item Veto and Get Study.
/ The Hatch subcommittee sched-
uled hearings on September Is also
on the Vandenberg proposal that
the President be permitted to veto
single items in any general appro-
priation bill, without vetoing the
whole bill, and on the Capper pro-
posal that aliens be excluded in
the counting of the number OF per-
sons in each State, in apportion-
ment of congressional representa-
tives from the States.
| On succeeding days the subcom-
mittee is to consider proposed con-
stitutional amendments dealing
with ratification of treaties, the
presidential term of Office and
equal rights" for women.