U.S. Aid To Britain UNANIMITY OF PUBLIC OPINION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 31 December 1940, Page 6

U.S. Aid To Britain UNANIMITY OF PUBLIC OPINION

Recent assertions that American public opinion has lately been markedly more emphatic in support of increasing help to Britain are borne out by the results of Gallup polls. The latest ones show that GO per cent, of the people are in favour of greater help for Britaiu, even at the risk of their country becoming involved in the war, and that 80 per cent, believe that Hitler intends if he can to enslave Europe and control world trade and industry. The result of the first of these polls reveals a particularly notable swing of thought, consid .‘ring that all the stress .so far has been on giving all aid short of war. Nevertheless, it has to be remembered that President Roosevelt has just reiterated that the Government's policy is to avoid involving the United States in war while at the same time assisting Britain to the greatest possible extent. Gallup Polls The Gallup polls have now become a regular feature of American life. Scientifically planned to ensure that they record the views of y representative cross-section of the people, they may be accepted as reflecting with a considerable degree of accuracy the general feelings of the people as a whoie. Apart from the polls mentioned above, others not quite so recent have shown a striking degree of national unity of thought on some of the most difficult questions immediately facing the nation. Dr. Gallup, the director of the American Institute of Public Opinion, which conducts the polls, said a few weeks ago that in the short time which had elapsed since the presidential election, the institute had tested the American attitude on most of the vital issues of the day. Attitude Clear “Today this much is clear for the world to read,” he said about a month ago. "•Despite sharp differences over domestic policies and candidates during the election campaign, there is surprisingly little difference among American voters on questions of national defence and foreign policy. “Take the question of increased aid to Britain. Both President Roosevelt and Mr. Wendell Willkie indicated that their policy would be to increase this aid by almost every means short of intervention in the war itself. Where do the people stand? “To answer this question the institute put the following questions to American voters in the closing days of the campaign: ‘lf it appears that England will be defeated by Germany and Italy unless the United States supplies her with more food and war materials, would you be in favour of giving more help to England?’ Here are the survey replies: Yes 00 per cent. No • 10 per cent. Added Aid Only one voter in 17 said he was undecided on the question, leaving a net 54.6 per cent, favouring added aid. Ninety-two per cent, of Democrats favoured increased help and 87 per cent, of Republicans voted the same way. Even the dividing of the country into geographical sections revealed no substantial difference of opinion, the percentages in favour of greater aid to Britain in the terms of the question varying only between a maximum of l>4 per cent, in the south and a minimum of SO per cent, in the east central area.”

Dr. Gallup said that surveys during the campaign showed there had been equally great agreement that the United States should stay out of the European war unless attacked. Majorities of as much as nine to one had boeu recorded in favour of enlarging the armed forces, 76 per cent, of voters had said they would he willing to pay special extra taxes for national defence, and there had been majorities of nearly nine to one in favour of taking up arms if necessary to prevent an Axis attack on Canada or the Latin American territories iu the vicinity of the Panama Canal.