MANY AMERICANS IGNORANT OF DAILY HAPPENINGS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22669, 21 June 1948, Page 4

MANY AMERICANS IGNORANT OF DAILY HAPPENINGS

NEW YORK, June 1. Educators, politicians and newspaper editors are alarmed by recent Gallup surveys which show that, despite universal access to current information by means of both newspapers and radio millions of Americans are completely ignorant of the most important happenings of the day. When Congress was considering legislation to restrict the powers of trade unions 39 per cent, of'the public knew nothing of the matter although it was front page news for weeks to every paper in America. Seventeen per cent, of those questioned failed to recognise General Eisenhower’s picture; 7 per cent, could not identify President Truman 38 per cent, stared blankly at Henry Wallace’s portrait. i In another test, 28 per cent, did not know where to find England on the map, 33 per cent, could not locate France or Greece, and nearly 50 per cent, were unable to point out SpamLeaders of public opinion admit that it is a very pretty serious situation when the average voter is so illiterate. Such people fall easy victims to unscrupulous demagogues. America has more schools, newspapers, magazines, radios, libraries and museums than any other country, but Gallup surveys indicate that a large proportion of the voting population is as ill-informed aS a nomad of the Russian steppes or a head - hunter in Borneo.