U.S.A. ELECTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 November 1944, Page 5

U.S.A. ELECTIONS

INTEREST IN PRESIDENCY CONGRESS PROSPECTS ' WASHINGTON, November 7. The dramatic interest in the Roose-velt-Dewey battle for the Presidential election has detracted attention from the fact that the American people will also elect a new Congress. Voters themselves tend to take little interest in this responsibility, and a recent Gallup survey showed that a large proportion did not even know the names of the Vice-Presidential candidates. Yet who goes to Congress is as important for America and the world as wljo becomes President. Even if Mr. Dewey is not elected, a strongly Republican Congress could doom Mr. Roosevelt. This was the fate of President Wilson. The Democrats at present have 216 seats in the House, compared with the Republicans 212. Other parties have four, and there are three vacancies. This precarious balance of power- is further weakened by the tendency of Right wing Democrats to vote with the Republicans. A Dewey victory would certainly give the Republicans a majority in the House, for the new President invariably carries the House with him. The Republicans, however, are counting on a majority in the House whether Mr. Dewey wins or loses. They are talking of a gain of 50 to 75 seats. They believe that local discontent is so acute in many areas that even those who hesitate to change the President in the middle of the war will not hesitate to change the Congressmen. The Democrats are expected to retain control of the Senate, even if Mr. Dewey wins the election. Only one-third of the senators retire. Consequently, 61 seats —36 Democratic, 24 Republican, and one Progressive —will not be contested. Eight of the retiring senators are Democrats from the solid south, and, therefore, are certain of re-election. Consequently, the Democrats start with 44 seats out of a total of 96, and are reasonably.certain of at least eight more. THE FIRST RETURNS. (Rec. 11.30 a.m.) , „ NEW YORK, November 7. Early nation-wide reports indicate the heaviest polling in history. The first returns came from a county in North Carolina where the whole 21 voters registered plumped for President Roosevelt and from Mashpee (Massachusetts), where the first block votes counted gave Mr. Dewey 51 votes and Mr. Roosevelt 44 Mr. Roosevelt obtained his ballot paper at Hyde Park’s old Town Hall, giving his occupation as tree grower (he grows Christmas trees on his estate). He had trouble with the voting machine, the handle of which stuck until an electoral officer juggled and released the lever. Mr Dewey voted at New York City’s East 48th Street and gave his occupation as lawyer. The crowd cheered him, but thbre was some booing. -