PUBLIC TAKING 'GET-IT-OVER-WITH' VIEW ON VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00475R000201950002-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 6, 2014
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 13, 1966
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/01/06: CIA-RDP73-00475R000201950002-9
JUN J. ;3 lUbb
I The Harris Survey
'
'Public Taking 'Get-a-Over-
i? -
?
?? By Louis Harris .
. eh '1956. The Washington Post CO.
American public opinion is
:rising toward increased mili-
,tancy about the Vietnam war
' and a "get it over with" mood.
i. This, rather than a massive
movement toward the so-called
"dove" position, is behind the
increased criticism of the way
'President Johnson is handling
!the war. . *.
IThe people show a distaste
for what they regard as an in-
;decisive stalemate in which
.American lives are being spent,
:but they cannot arrive at any
firm conclusion about what
!should be done to end the war.
Recent soundings of cross-
sections of the American peo-
ple reveal these facts:
? Public opinion is changing
about bombing the North Viet-
nam capital of Hanoi and the
port of 'Haiphong. In 1965, the
people were 2 to 1 against
bombing these key population
centers. Now, opinion is split
down the middle, with one in
three still uncertain about
which course to take.
? By nearly 3 to 1, most
Americans now favor.blockad-
ing North Vietnam ports, -al-
though 3 in 10 cannot make
up their minds. ?
? In January, by a slight
margin, the people were will-
ing to accept free elections in
South Vietnam which might
result in Vietcong representa-
tion in government. Now, by
a slim margin, most Ameri-
cans reject this as unaccept-
able. One in ten of those who
once favored such elections
now say they are not sure.
? 'The margin by which the
public would accept a neutral-
ist Sotith Vietnam after nego-.
liations .was over 3 tol 1 in.
January but is less today.
? Even the heavy majorities.
who oppose bombing the main-
land of China, or using atomic
ground weapons, have shrunk
in the past two months.
? The oft-repeated desired
of President Johnson's critics
that he adopt an enclave stratp:
egy and resume the bombing
pause are rejected by margins
of better than 2 to 1.
In short, critics of Mr. John-
son who argue that the .esca-
lation of the war in Vietnam
has been the wrong emphasis
in the wrong place at. the
wrong time have not convinced
American public opinion that
the issue is as simple as that.
The following tables repre-
sent results of repeated ques-
tioning of comparable cross-
sections of the American peo-
ple since last September:
"I want to read off to you a
number of positions the Ad-
ministration has taken on Viet-
nam. For each, I wish you would
tell me if you think the Ad-
ministration is more right or
more wrong."
KEY MILITARY
DECISIONS IN VIETNAM
Not Blockading North Vietnam Ports
More More Not
? ' Right Wrong Sure
May 1966 ? 18% 53% 29%
Feb. 1966 24 SO 26
Sept. 1965 31 38 31
Not Bombing Hanoi or Haiphong .
May 1966 34 34 32
Feb. 1966 41 30 29
Sept 196547 70 33
Not Using Atomic' Ground Weapons
May 1966 64 13 23
Feb. 1966 80 9 11
Not Bombing Chino Mainland ?
May 1966 65 12 22 -
Feb. 1966-- - 71 10 , '19 .
Two key possible peace-
ma kin g propositions : have,
found .dwindliog :public 'sup,
, . ....:.-11..:',..f....,___-:_.? ..t...,,... -... _L.-- ....a..
ith' View on Vietnam
port since they were put forth
last January: ?
"Suppose part of a settlement
of' the Vietnam war was to hold
free elections in .SoutirVietnam
which could result in the Com-
munists .being part of the go*
ernment..Would you favor our
agreeing to such an arrange-
ment, or would you be against
such an agreement?".
. COMMUNIST
REPRESENTATION
May Jan.
1966 1966
Favor such an election 37% 47%
Oppose such an election 40 41
Not sure 23 12
"Suppose, after negotiations,
the government of South Viet:
name were neutralist?neither
on our side nor on the side of
the Communists ?would you
favor or oppose that way to end
the war?" ?
NEUTRALIST
SOUTH VIETNAM
?? May Jan.
1966 1966
Favor' 54% 62%
? Oppose ? . . ? 21 ? 20
? Not Writ ' 25 11I
The real shift 'W.:American
public opinion over. Vietnam
can perhaps best be gauged in.
a recent re-asking of a ques-.:
tion the Harris Survey repeat-,
edly tested in 1965: ?
"All in all, what do you think'
we should do about Vietnam?
We can follow one of three
courses: carry the ground War.
into North?Victnam at the risk'
of bringing Red China into the,
fighting?withdraw our support
and troops front South Vietnam
?or continue to try to hold the
line there to prevent the Com.-'
munists front taking over South
Vietnam. Which do you favor?"
? Hold With- Carry
Lino draw War to
Support North
May 1966 47% 15% 39%
December1963 65 7 28
September 196$ 49 75 26 . ?
May 196$ 47 31 ? 77
. March 1963 49 ? 38 13
Sentiment for withdrawal
has doubled since December,.
but it still is less than half-
that of a year ago. The num-
ber who feel we should carry:
the ground war -into 'North.
Vietnam has ? almos.t ?. tripled;
since March, 1965.? .
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/01/06: CIA-RDP73-00475R000201950002-9