Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/99

 �This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 sonnel (29.1 per cent) voted in the 1944 elections. 2 In 1945 the United States War Ballot Commission, composed of the Secretaries of War and Navy and the Administrator of the War Shipping Administration, made a report on the operation of the Soldier Vot. ing law in 1944. Their proposals for amend- ments to the erosting law were incorporated in Public Law 348, 79 Gong., 2 Sess. (ap proved 19 April 1946). This act eliminated the Federal ballot and reduced the role of the Federal overnment in the voting proc- ess to that of furnishing postcard applica- tions for state ballots. It also made a series of recommendations to the states for facili- tating and liberalizing absentee voting procedures. This legislation was intended to be permanent in nature and not a wartime expedient--it would enable servicemen who were stationed outside their home states, whether in this country or overseas, to exercise their voting rights in peacetime as well as during time of war. Many states acted on the recommendation embodied in this law, and by I952 at least 14 states had enacted legislation liberalizing their laws on abntee voting. 2 In 1950 Congress made two minor amendments to the ab- sentee voting law of 1942. One required that the postcard ballot applications be distmb- uted to all eligible persons; previously the law had required only that the ballots be made ayalahie. The other amendment pro- vialed that free airmail postage should be supplied for balloting materLts regardless of weight.  Doubtlessly the fact that the absentee voting legislation enabled increas- ingly large numbers of Air Force personnel to become active voting constituents had had an effect on the attitudes and action of many members of Congress in regard to Air Force lgislation, although the influence of such a factor is hard to judge. Certainly the effect on morale of legisIation protect ing the voting rights of service personnel was good, and such action was in accord- anco with American democratic tradition. The development of hostilities in Korea in 1950 resulted in the passage of Public Law 609, 81 Gong., 2 Sess., (approved 12 July 1950). Under the provisions of this act free mallin privileges were granted to members of the armed forces of the United States on active duty in Korea or ia such other areas as the President of the United States might designate as comba zones or theaters of mihtary operations, This legislation was to be effective until 30 June 1951J s The continuance of hostilities in Korea beyond that time resulted in the passage o Public Law 54, 82 Cong., 1 Sess. (approved 26 June 1951). This law extended the free mailing privilege for two more years. o The sending and receiving of mail ls an exceedingly important morale factor among military personnel in the field, and the free mailing pri,f_Ieges are particularly desirable under combat conditions which might make it ery difficult or impossible for military personnel to get stamps. This privilege was similar to that granted to members of the armed forces in previous warsJ  There were several other personnel rneas- ure. enacted in 1950.51 which, for the most part, grew out of the Korean emergency, These concerned members of the Air Force and of the other armed services. One of these was Public Law 79, 81 Gong., 2 Sess, (approved 9 September 1950), which amended the Selective Service Act of 1948 to make provision for the induction into the armed forces of medical, dental, and allied specialists to meet the personnel needs of the three services. Those person eligible for induction under this act were placed in four priority groups. Those who had been deferred to complete their pro- fessional training in Wold War II and those who had been trained in Army and Navy programs relating to these specialties were to have first priority for induction.  Another mecaufo was framed to give mili- tary personnel in combat zones necessary leeway in the matter of filing income tax estimates. Public LaW 908, 81 Gong., 2 Sess, (approved 2 January 1951), permitted for service personnel in a combat zone an tension of the time limit for filing amended declarations of estimated tax (necessary because of the 1950 income tax increase). Minor benefits for members of the armed services included Public Law 1, 82 Cong., THIS PAGE Declassflied lAW EO12958