CANDIDLY SPEAKING —
Don’t, don’t, don’t!
By Maxine Garrison
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Meat, butter go unchanged during April
Cold fruits, vegetables put on free list
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Marshalls bombed; Pakin Island hit
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Bucs head for series at Louisville
Pirates clash with White Sox in exhibitions
By Dick Fortune
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Giants’ Melton predicts he’ll have best season against weaker hitting
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Völkischer Beobachter (March 31, 1944)
Verflogene Illusionen lösen Wellen der Kritik aus –
Cassino-Kopfschmerzen in London und Washington
Von unserem Berichterstatter in der Schweiz
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Message to Congress by President Roosevelt on a Bill to Facilitate Voting by Members of the Armed Forces
March 31, 1944
To the Congress:
I am permitting S. 1285, entitled “An Act to facilitate voting, in time of war, by members of the land and naval forces, members of the merchant marine, and others, absent from the place of their residence, and to amend the Act of September 16, 1942, and for other purposes,” to become law without my signature.
The bill is, in my judgment, wholly inadequate to assure to servicemen and women as far as is practically feasible the same opportunity which they would have to vote if they were at home.
Because of the confusing provisions of the bill and because of the difficulty of knowing just what will be the practical effect of the bill in operation, it is impossible for me to determine whether in fact more servicemen and women will be able to vote under the new measure than under existing law. That determination will largely depend upon the extent to which the states cooperate to make the measure as effective as its provisions permit. In view of this situation, I have resolved the doubt in favor of the action taken by the Congress, and am permitting the bill to become law without my approval.
In other words, this bill might fairly be called a standing invitation to the several states to make it practicable for their citizens to vote: in this sense the Congress is placing a certain responsibility on each state for action. But it will, of course, be understood by those in the armed services, who want to vote but cannot, that the Congress itself shares the responsibility through the complexities of this bill.
The issue regarding soldiers’ voting has been confused. The issue is not whether soldiers should be allowed to vote a full ballot, including state and local offices, or a short ballot confined to federal offices. I am, and always have been, anxious to have the federal government do everything within its power compatible with military operations to get the full state ballots to the men and women in the service. I always have been, and I am now, anxious to have the states do everything within their power to get the full state ballots to the men and women in the service.
The real issue is whether after the states have done all that they are willing to do to get the full state ballots to the men and women in the service, and after the federal government has done everything within its power to get the full state ballots delivered to the men and women in the service, those who have not received their full state ballots should be given the right to cast a short, uniform federal ballot which can readily be made available to them. This right which should be assured to all men and women in the service, is largely nullified by the conditions which the provisions of this bill attach to its exercise.
In my judgment, the right of a soldier to vote the federal ballot if he does not receive in time his state ballot should not be conditioned, as it is by this bill, upon his having made a prior application for a state ballot, or upon the prior certification by the Governor of the state that the federal ballot is acceptable under state law. This bill provides a federal ballot but because of these conditions, it does not provide the right to vote.
The federal government will and should do everything it can to get the state ballots to our men and women in the service. But it is not in my judgment true, as some have contended, that the federal government can assure the use of state ballots as readily as the use of federal ballots. No matter what effort the federal government makes, in many cases it will not be possible to ensure the delivery in time of state ballots to designated individuals all over the world or their return in time to the respective states.
Some of the servicemen and women, not knowing where they will be a month hence or whether they will be alive, will not apply for their ballots. Others will not receive their state ballots in time or be able to get their ballots back to their states in time. Remember that a number of states still require a special form of application and that the postal card application forms supplied by the federal government are only treated as an application for an application for a state ballot.
The federal government can ensure, and in my judgment, it is the duty of the federal government to ensure, that every serviceman and woman who does not get his state ballot in time shall have the right to use a short and uniform federal ballot.
It is in my judgment within the authority of the Congress to use its war powers to protect the political rights of our servicemen and women to vote for federal offices as well as their civil rights with respect to their jobs and their homes. If Congress did not hesitate to protect their property rights by legislation which affected state law, there is no reason why Congress should hesitate to protect their political rights.
In 1942, Congress did exercise the war powers to provide federal war ballots and they were counted in almost every state. What was constitutional in 1942, certainly is not unconstitutional in 1944.
In allowing the bill to become law, I wish to appeal to the states, upon whom the Congress has placed the primary responsibility for enabling our service people to vote, to cooperate to make the bill as fully effective as its defective provisions will allow. The response of the Governors to my questions, and reports made to me by the War Department, indicate that many states have not yet taken action to make the bill as fully effective as it could be and that a considerable number of states do not presently contemplate taking such action.
I wish also to appeal to the Congress to take more adequate action to protect the political rights of our men and women in the service.
It is right and necessary that the states do all in their power to see that the state ballots reach the men and women in the service from their states. In particular, I appeal to them to see that their state laws allow sufficient time between the time that their absentee ballots are available for distribution and the time that they must be returned to be counted.
I also appeal to the states to see that the postal card application forms for state ballots distributed by the federal government to the troops are treated as a sufficient application for their state ballot and not merely as a request for a formal application for a state ballot.
I also appeal to the states to authorize the use of the federal ballots by all service people from their states who have not received their state ballots before an appropriate date, whether or not they have formally applied for them. no state or federal red tape should take from our young folk in the service their right to vote.
I further appeal to the Congress to amend the present bill, S. 1285, so as to authorize all servicemen and women, who have not received their state ballots by an appropriate date, whether or not they have formally applied for them, to use the federal ballot without prior express authorization by the states. If the states do not accept the federal ballot, that will be their responsibility. Under this bill, that responsibility is shared by the Congress.
Our boys on the battlefronts must not be denied an opportunity to vote simply because they are away from home. They are at the front fighting with their lives to defend our rights and our freedoms. We must assure them their rights and freedoms at home so that they will have a fair share in determining the kind of life to which they will return.
U.S. Navy Department (March 31, 1944)
CINCPAC Press Release No. 331
For Immediate Release
March 31, 1944
Seventh Army Air Force Liberators bombed Dublon, Param, Uman, Fefan, and Moen in the Truk Atoll at night on March 29 (West Longitude Date). On Dublon Island heavy explosions and fires were observed and on Uman and Moen Islands fires were started. Anti-aircraft fire was moderate.
A single 7th Army Air Force Liberator bombed Ponape.
On the same day four enemy positions in the Marshalls were bombed and strafed by Ventura search planes of Fleet Air Wing Two, Mitchell bombers of the 7th Army Air Force, Dauntless dive bombers and Corsair fighters of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and Navy Hellcat fighters. Anti-aircraft batteries, coast defense guns, and ammunition dumps were hit. At one atoll fires were started in a warehouse area and at another several barges were severely strafed by our fighters.
All of our planes returned from all of these operations.
Communiqué No. 515
Mediterranean.
As the result of operations in the Mediterranean theater during the period January 22, 1944 to this date, the following ship losses were sustained due to a variety of causes:
- 1 motor minesweeper (YMS‑30).
- 1 large minesweeper (AM‑106).
- 8 landing craft.
- 1 harbor tug (YT‑198).
The next of kin of casualties of the above vessels have been notified.
The Pittsburgh Press (March 31, 1944)
96 BRITISH BOMBERS LOST
Germans down record bag of Allied planes
Nürnberg attacked with 2,240 tons
By Phil Ault, United Press staff writer
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Big fleet rips Jap bases 460 miles off Philippines
All enemy ships flee Palau Island waters as Yanks approach
By William F. Tyree, United Press staff writer
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Germans attack inside Cassino
Allies hold only one hill on mountain
By Reynolds Packard, United Press staff writer
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Japanese sever highway in India
Enemy drive perils two strongholds
By Darrell Berrigan, United Press staff writer
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Soldier vote bill to become law
Roosevelt refuses to sign measure
Washington (UP) –
President Roosevelt notified Congress today that he would allow the soldier vote bill to become a law without his signature, although it is “wholly inadequate” to assure servicemen and women a “feasible” opportunity to vote.
In a message to the House, Mr. Roosevelt also appealed to Congress “to take more adequate action to protect the political rights of our men and women in the service.” And he urged the states “to make the bill as fully effective as its defective provisions will allow.”
The bill provides for an abbreviated federal war ballot which may be used only by service personnel overseas.
Use restricted
But it further provides that these ballots may be used only if they are acceptable to the states and only if the individuals certify that they have asked for, but have not received, regular absentee ballots from their home states.
The federal ballot would allow votes only for President, Vice President, Senator and Representative.
The bill will become law at midnight tonight. To permit this, Congress had to defer its Easter vacation, which had been scheduled to start yesterday. Both Houses will hold perfunctory sessions tomorrow.
Further action doubted
If they had begun their recess before midnight tonight, the bill would have died under the “pocket veto” provisions of the Constitution.
It was considered most unlikely that Congress would take any further action on soldier vote legislation as urged by the President.
The President charged in his message that the bill could “fairly” be called nothing more than “a standing invitation to the several states to make it practicable for their citizens to vote.”
Congress, in passing the bill, placed a certain responsibility on each state for action, Mr. Roosevelt said, and those in the Armed Forces “who want to vote, but cannot” would understand that “the Congress itself shares the responsibility through the complexities of this bill.”
‘Wholly inadequate’
He said:
The bill is, in my judgment, wholly inadequate to assure to servicemen and women as far as is practically feasible the same opportunity which they would have to vote if they were at home.
Because of the confusing provisions of the bill and because of the difficulty of knowing just what will be the practical effect of the bill in operation, it is impossible for me to determine whether in fact more servicemen and women will be able to vote under the new measure than under existing law.
That determination will largely depend upon the extent to which the states cooperate to make the measure as effective as its provisions permit. In view of this situation, I have resolved the doubt in favor of the action taken by the Congress, and am permitting the bill to become law without my approval.
State aid asked
“No state or federal red tape should take from our young folk in the service their right to vote,” Mr. Roosevelt said in appealing further for individual state action to authorize the use of federal ballots.
He asked Congress to enact an amendment to the bill to authorize members of the Armed Forces who have not received their state ballots by a certain time, whether or not they have formally applied for them, to use the federal ballot without prior express authorization by the states.
‘Defending our rights’
He said:
If the states do not accept the federal ballot, that will be their responsibility. Under this bill, that responsibility is shared by the Congress.
Our boys on the battlefronts must not be denied an opportunity to vote simply because they are away from home. They are at the front fighting with their lives to defend our rights and our freedoms. We must assure them their rights and freedoms at home so that they will have a fair share in determining the kind of life to which they will return.
Prior to deciding what to do with the bill, Mr. Roosevelt canvassed governors of all the states about whether their state laws permit use of the federal ballot and if not, whether they planned to seek legislation to validate the ballots.
Seven states accept
He said in his message today that replies indicated many states have not taken action to legalize the federal ballots, and many states plan no such action.
Out of the 48 replies, only seven states said definitely they would accept the federal ballot; 18 said they would not accept it; five said they probably would not; one accepted conditionally; 14 promised to make an effort to legalize the federal ballot, and three were undecided.
Accused of false statements –
Brewster union president indicted by U.S. grand jury
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A total of $1,466,250 –
Big bills really uncovered in ‘Big Bill’s’ strong boxes
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Chaplin weeps at Joan’s plight
Judge soothes actor as grilling continues
By Frederick C. Othman, United Press staff writer
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Dewey assailed in union probe
Governor accused of ‘soft-pedalling’
Washington (UP) –
Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York was accused today of “soft-pedalling” an investigation of international officers of the Hod Carriers’ Union (AFL), who were indicted here Wednesday on charges of misappropriating union funds.
The charges against Governor Dewey were made by Frederick W. Dusing of Newburgh, New York, business agent of Hod Carriers’ Local 17 which last June obtained an injunction in New York Supreme Court against the international union and its officers.
Earlier probe cited
Pointing out that Governor Herbert H. Lehman had directed the New York Attorney General to conduct an investigation in February 1942, Mr. Dusing said that when Governor Dewey assumed office, “he soft-pedalled the investigation and it now appears to have been completely killed on the eve of sensational disclosures.”
Mr. Dusing said the indictments here coupled with the New York Supreme Court’s action constituted a “tremendous blow against this vicious and powerful labor racket.”
Bonds posted
Meanwhile, Joseph V. Moreschi, President of the International Hod Carriers’, and 11 others named in Wednesday’s indictment were under $1,500-$2,000 bond here to appear for arraignment next week.
The defendants were accused of conspiring to embezzle union funds up to $500,000.
Still missing, however, was Larry Kelly, former treasurer of the Building Committee of Local 74, Washington affiliate of the union, who disappeared several months ago while a special grand jury was looking into the Hod Carriers’ affairs.
Palau assault may presage new invasion
Yanks may strike in Carolines
By Sandor S. Klein, United Press staff writer
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Willkie prepares for Nebraska trip
Minneapolis, Minnesota (UP) –
His pre-primary campaign in Wisconsin ended, Wendell L. Willkie turned today to Nebraska where Republicans elect 12 delegates to the National Convention April 11.
Mr. Willkie arrived here last night after completing his 13-day tour of Wisconsin where he sought support for his slate of 24 delegates running for election in Tuesday’s primary. The 1940 GOP candidate showed evidence of the strain of his 1,500-mile trip through the badger state and with the exception of an appearance at the Minneapolis Club today, he planned no political activities.
In a final plea to Wisconsin voters yesterday, Willkie told an audience at Superior that he campaigned in that state because he wanted the people of Wisconsin to “know the beliefs and purposes of at least one candidate in the field.”
Mr. Willkie will leave for Omaha tonight to open a five-day tour of Nebraska.