These bills propose that blank ballots on special paper suitable for air delivery be sent by the War and Navy Departments to all the fronts and camps and stations out in the field, well in advance of election day. Immediately after primary elections are held, the names of the various candidates would be radioed or wired to the various military, naval, and merchant marine units throughout the world-on the high seas, on every front, and at every training station. The lists of candidates would then be made available to the voters, and the ballots would be distributed for marking in secrecy. But, even if the candidates' names had not been made available in an area in time to allow the ballots to be sent back to the United States, the voters could cast their votes by designating merely the name of the party of the candidates they desired to vote for. The voting date would be fixed in each area in sufficient time to get the ballots back home before election day, even if the actual names of the candidates had not been received in that particular area. The ballots would be collected and transmitted back to the United States by the quickest method of delivery, for forwarding to the appropriate State election officials.

Each State, under these bills, would determine for itself whether or not the voter is qualified to vote under the laws of his State. Each State would count the ballots in the same way in which it counts the other ballots that are cast in the State. The sole exceptions would be those conditions of registration and payment of poll tax which could not be satisfied because of the absence of a voter from his State of residence by reason of the war. Those conditions were abrogated by the Congress when it passed the existing Federal absentee-balloting law (Public Law 712).

There is nothing in such a proposed statute which violates the rights of the States. The Federal Government merely provides quick machinery for getting the ballots to the troops and back again. Certainly it does not violate States' rights any more than Public Law 712, which was passed by a substantial majority of the Congress in September 1942, and which specifically provided that no member of the armed forces had to register or pay a poll tax in order to vote in a Federal election. It is no more violative of States' rights than the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act, which the Congress passed in October 1940-more than a year before the war began.

It is true that these bills do not provide a simplified method of voting for State and local officials. The Congress has not the same authority to provide a simplified voting procedure for the thousands of State and local candidates that it has for Federal candidates. Nor would it be practicable to do so. The inclusion of all the State and local candidates would increase the size and weight of the ballot so as to make air delivery a physical impossibility. Furthermore, the transmission and distribution of names of the many thousands of State and local candidates throughout the United States to each voter in every military and naval unit and merchant ship raise insuperable difficulties.

Since these bills provide that if any voter wishes, he may use the procedure of his own State for absentee balloting, he is given, to the extent that there is any possibility of doing so, an opportunity to vote for State and local candidates. In fact, since they provide for a post-card system to implement the State laws, each voter is given at

least as great an opportunity to vote for State and local candidates as he would have under any legislation.

The inclusion of other groups of voters who are engaged abroad in war work of various kinds would be desirable. But as to members of our armed forces and merchant marine, I deem the legislation imperative.

Our millions of fighting men do not have any lobby or pressure group on Capitol Hill to see that justice is done for them. They are not ordinarily permitted to write their Congressman on pending legislation; nor do they put ads in the papers or stimulate editorial writers or columnists to make special appeals for them. It certainly would appear unnecessary that our soldiers and sailors and merchant marine have to make a special effort to retain their right to vote.

As their Commander in Chief, I am sure that I can express their wishes in this matter and their resentment against the discrimination which is being practiced against them.

The American people cannot believe that the Congress will permit those who are fighting for political freedom to be deprived of a voice. in choosing the personnel of their own Federal Government.

I have been informed that it would be possible, under the rules of the Congress, for a soldiers' vote bill to be rejected or passed without any roll call, thus making it impossible for the voters of the countrymilitary or civilian-to be able to determine just how their own Representative or Senator had voted on such a bill.

I have hesitated to say anything to the Congress on this matter for the simple reason that the making of these rules is solely within the discretion of the two Houses of the legislative branch of the Government. I realize that the Executive, as such, has nothing to do with the making or the enforcement of these rules. Nevertheless, there are times, I think, when the President can speak as an interested citizen.

I think that there would be widespread resentment on the part of the people of the Nation if they were unable to find out how their individual representatives had expressed themselves on this legislation which goes to the root of the right of citizenship.

As I have said, this is solely a legislative matter but I think most Americans will agree with me that every Member of the two Houses of Congress ought to be willing in justice "to stand up and be counted." FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT.

THE WHITE HOUSE, January 26, 1944.

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78TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session

DOCUMENT
No. 388

SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATION, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 1945

COMMUNICATION

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATION, IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,618,000, FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1945, IN THE FORM OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET FOR SAID FISCAL YEAR

January 26, 1944.-Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered. to be printed

THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, January 25, 1944.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith for the consideration of Congress a supplemental estimate of appropriation, in the amount of $1,618,000, for the Department of State, for the fiscal year 1945, in the form of an amendment to the Budget for said fiscal year.

The details of this estimate, the necessity therefor, and the reasons for its transmission at this time are set forth in the letter of the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, transmitted herewith, in whose comments and observations thereon I concur.

Respectfully,

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT.

The PRESIDENT,

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT,

The White House.

BUREAU OF THE BUDGET, Washington, D. C., January 21, 1944.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith for your consideration a supplemental estimate of appropriation, in the amount of $1,618,000, for the Department of State, for the fiscal year 1945, in the form of an amendment to the Budget for said fiscal year, as follows:

DEI ARTMENT OF STATE

On page 617 of the Budget, increase the estimate for "Foreign Service, Auxiliary (National Defense)" from "$4,862,000" to "$6,480,000" (increase) $1,618, 000

A reduction of $1,618,000 was made in the estimates, as presented by the Department of State, pending a study by the Bureau of the Budget to determine the division of field activities between the Department and the Foreign Economic Administration under the terms of Executive Order 9380. The study has now advanced sufficiently to justify the recommendation that this amount be added to the original submission for the requirements of the Department of State for the fiscal year 1945.

The foregoing supplemental estimate of appropriation is made necessary by reason of contingencies which have arisen since the transmission of the Budget for the fiscal year 1945. I recommend that it be transmitted to Congress.

Very respectfully,

HAROLD D. SMITH, Director of the Bureau of the Budget.

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