SHOWS SHARE: RISE. mas ANT WAR. SENTIMENT IN U.S.
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“The latest. ‘Gallup ‘poll, released ‘qiné 19, reveals an impres- Sive rise in sentiment “among the American people against Johnson's war in Vietnan. . ae
"If the. American people today were given two alternatives -continuing the war in Vietnam or withdrawing our troops during the next: few months += their vote. would be 4-to-3 to continue , © reports George Gallup. me oe
Only a year: ago, in June 1965, presented, with | a comparabié. alternative, the vote would have been 7-to-2 in favor of continuing the war. Sy
The survey questions and the results in percentages were as follows:
"Suppose you were asked to vote on the question of continuing the war in Vietnam or withdrawing our troops during the next few months 77 how would you vote?" —
Gontime 48%
Withdraw 35%
No opinion - 17%
The comparable question last year was: "Should the U.S. continue its present efforts, or should we pull our forces out?"
Continue 66%
Pull out ~ 20%
No opinion 14%
“Among the other interesting results reported by the pollsters were the following:
~ 8]. Only: one person in six anticipates an _.all-out victory in Vietnam. A majority think the conflict will end in a compromise — peace settlement.
"2, ‘Hopes for an- early end to the fighting. are dwindling.
"3.The public is about. evenly divided in their opinion as to.whether the South Vietnamese want the U. S. to. stay in. their | country.
"4, About half the U.S. adults think we should pull our troops out of Vietnam if a majority of the South Vietnamese. want us to do so; one in three say.we should.not."
The poll. did not indicate the class. composition of those queried or what the variations of opinion were among the various classes. Not even occupations were mentioned. Gallup merely said
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that the "Democrats tend to favor continuing the war," the Republicans are "about evenly divided," more men than women favor staying.in Vietnam, and "education" is a factor, "with the better— educated more inclined to favor continuing the war. "
The major question posed by the pollsters was not without its irony. The voters are not being asked to vote on whether they want the U.S. to stay in Vietnam or to withdraw the troops. They were not permitted to vote on whether or not they favored going into Vietnam in the first place. And in the 1964 presidential elections they cast a landslide vote for Johnson on the basis of his campaign promises in which he made out that he was the "peace" can- -didate in opposition to the warmongering Goldwater. After he won the election, Johnson carried out the major planks in Goldwater's platforn.