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

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03061A000400010036-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 28, 2012
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: June 13, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/06/28: CIA-RDP78-03061A000400010036-9
WASHINGTON POST
The:llarris Survey'
13 JUNE 1966
Public Taking `Get-it-Over-With'iew on Vietnam
American public opinion is
}'ising. toward increased mill.
:tancy' about the Vietnam 'war
,and a ``get it over with" mood.
This, rather than a massive
movement toward the so-called
"dove" position, is behind then
;increased criticism of the way
President Johnson is handling
,the W. '. The. 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 oft 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
bonibing'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 illockad-
ing North Vietnam p rts, al-
though 3 in 10 cannot make
up their minds:
1 ? In January, by a slight
margin, the people were will-
ging 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 of sure..
? The margin by' which the
public would accept a neutral
1st South Vietnam after nego?
tiations was., over, 3. to 1 in
January but is less today.
? Even the, heavy majorities,
who oppose bombing the main-
land of China, or. using atonlic
ground weapons,.,have shrunk
in the' past two months. '
? ' The oft-repeated desires
of President Johnson's critics
that he, adopt an "enclave. strati'.
egy and resume the bombing
pause are rejected by margins
of better than 2 to 1. '
In short
critics of Mr
John-
,
,
N who' argue that the esca
lation of the war in Vietnam
has been the wrong emphasis
An 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 50 26
Sept. 1965 31 38 31
Not Bombing Hanoi or 'Haiphong
May 1966 34 34 32
Feb. 1966 '' 41' 30 29
Sept. 1965 47 20' 33
Not ing Atomic Ground Weapons
May 1966 64 13 .23
Feb. 1966 ' 80 9 : ",11
Not Bombing China Mainland
May 1966 . .:65 12 23
port since they were put forth
last January: '
"Suppose part of a settlement
of the Vietnam war was to hold
free elections in South Vietnam
which could, result in the Com-
m.unists `being part of the gov-
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 on election 37% 47% 'I
Oppose such an election 40. 41
Not sure a 23 12
"Suppose, after negotiations,
the government of South Vieta
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 sure os 15
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 Vietnam at the risk
of bringing Red China into the
fighting-withdraw our support
and troops from South Vietnam.
-or continue to try to hold the'
like there to.prevent the,Com-'
munists from taking over South,'.
Vietnam. Which.do you favor?"
Hold With. Carry
Line drew War to
Support North
may 1966 47% 13%, 38% December 1965 65 7 26 - &t
Septeml ar 1965 . '49 25 26
May 1965 ' 47 ' 31 ' 22
March 1965 49 38 13
Sentiment for withdrawal'
has doubled since December,
but it still is less than half
that of a year ago. The num-'
her who feel we.should carry;
the ground war into North
Feb. 1966 71 10 19
Two , key possible peace=
m akin g propositions have
found dwindling public sup-
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/06/28: CIA-RDP78-03061A000400010036-9