Evening star., 1945-02-11

in their Government, while all the
soldiers from all Of the 48 States
are given the vote, has raised more
support for the suffrage program
in the District than it has ever had
before" said Senator Capper.
Will Appreciate Support.
He told Senator McCarran he
would appreciate anything you can
do toward giving the suffrage meas
ure chance to be heard"
Spokesman for District organiza-
tions and groups Of organizations
last night announced plans to in
sure big turnout on Wednesday.
Included were lawyers, religious
leaders. club women, veterans, citi-
zen association presidents, business
men and spokesmen for labor.
A number of these leaders pointed
out that the hearing gives all Dis
trict citizens golden opportunity"
to show Congress by their presence
in the hearing room that they really
want a vote.
Speaking as president of the
Washington Board Of Trade, with
a membership of some 5000 business
and professional men, E. Barrett
Prettyman said: THE Board of
Trade has gone on record time
and again in support Of the
principle and in support of the
Summers Capper resolution. The
Board of Trade has been one Of the
leaders in the movement to obtain
the vote for Washington. Every
body knows it is coming some day
and this is the appropriate time for
everybody to get behind it and work
for it. We have all passed resolu-
tions supporting it and Congress
knows how we feel. People ought
to 60 to the hearings on Wednesday
just to show how they feel"
Carmody Backs Plan.
John j. Carmody, president Of the
District Bar Association, which will
have several representatives at the
hearing, described the proposed
amendment as "a great thing for
the District"
One of the bar associations wit
nesses will be James r. Kirkland,
member of the associations Amer
icanization Committee which ar
ranges ceremonies at naturalization
proceedings in District Court. He
said his committee finds it diff
cult to explain to these new citizens
why some of them do not get full
membership in America-why they
are required to pay taxes and shoul-
der arms and still do not get a
vote"
Emphasizing the soldiers who
fight but can't vote, Herbert j.
jacob. first vice commander of the
District Department., American
Legion, said he voiced the senti-
ments of $4,000 District legion
naires In giving whole hearted sup
port" to the suffrage measure.
Wilbur S. Finch, president of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
said federation representatives
would attend the hearing to give
national representative the 100
per cent support" Of the organiza-
ton.
Typical of the attitude of most
citizens associations was the senti-
ment voiced by Daniel Melcher,
president of the Southwest Citizens
Association.
In this area" he said, live
families which have had taxation
without representation for seven
generations. As president of the
Southwest Citizens Association. the
oldest in the District, I shall GER
tainly ask an opportunity to testify
in favor Of the bill to amend the
Constitution and give the vote to
the voteless Americans of the Ma
tion's Capital"
Speaking for another large group
OF organizati tions-the District Fed
Grafton of Women's Clubs, with
5000 women In 80 different clubs
Mrs. Gertrude Parks, federation
president, reported that at a coun-
Gil meeting tomorrow the indi-
vidual clubs will be urged to have
their own representatives at the
hearing to show their support of
the proposed amendment.
The Voteless District of Columbia
League Of Women Voters, said its
legislative chairman, Mrs. Dorothy
Bourne, learned through its work
on voters information during the
last. campaign how deeply people
care about their rights as voters"
The league, she said, will be repre-
sented by witnesses at the hearing
'in view OF our continuing and in
creasing interest in suffrage for the
District"
Represents Colored Citizens.
The Rev DR.. Frederick E. Reissig,
secretary of the Washing
ton Federation of Churches, who
planned to attend the hearing, said
he thought church people generally
favor suffrage here, adding 1T would
make for more integration in COM
and church life"
DR.. Edward F. Harris, president
Of the Federation of Civic Associa-
tions. said he would attend the
to represent the colored
and the % member or