Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-07-17
INDEPENDENT POLLS
STRONGLY ANTI-WAR
(From Washington Peace Action
of June 194D

(From Washington Peace Action
of June 1941)
The American people may still be
spared the tragedy of war if the re-
suits of independent polls now being
undertaken throughout the country
sink into the minds and hearts of
those who seem bent on pushing this
country over the brink.
A virtual mandate against Ameri-
can participation in the present war
is the result of a postcard poll
launched few weeks ago by Rep
resentative Hamilton Fish to deter
mine the sentiments of his constitu-
ency in the 18th Congressional Dis
trict in New York on the question of
entering or staying out of war.
Ballots totaling $1,000 were mailed
to every registered voter of Duchess,
Orange and Putnam Counties which
comprise the 26th District. The post
card ballot put the proposition to the
voters in the most clearcut fashion
as follows:
The United States should
Enter the war----
Stay out of war ------
Returns of the poll show 30,641
ballots were cast. Of these, 27,423
almost exactly 80 per cent-voted
that the United States should stay
out of war and 3,O38 voted that the
United States should enter the war
now. President Roosevelt's native
village of Hyde Park voted 220 to 26
to stay out of the European war.
Representative Fish pointed out
that the poll is typically cross-sec-
,tional, including workers and farm
ers both, with sprinkling of the
upper-bracket classes 49,"
In sending the ballots, Representa-
tive Fish enclosed letter which read
in part: eve are on the brink of
war. Congress alone, under the Con-
stitution, may declare war. An un-
declared war is an invention and Gre
alton of totalitarian nations and a
negation of democratic processes and
of our constitutional form of gov
eminent. ,,.r
"The issue of war or peace is clear
cut. 1t should be discussed and de-
bated throughout the nation. AS
your Representative in Congress, I
want to be guided by the thoughtful
opinion of my constituents :"
In making the results of the poll
known, Representative Fish declared
he chad anticipated or to ma
jority against war, but am utterly
amazed at the final 9 to l majority.
The first days poll showed to l
majority against war, but when Hit
Ter declared war on Soviet Russia
the poll jumped to over 9 to 1.
"The poll has done what I hoped
it would, by exposing the hypocrisy
and virtual conspiracy of the war
makers who, representing only 10
per cent of the American people,
have tried through the sheer weight
of hysterical propaganda to bulldoze,
brighten, and force 80 per cent of the
people into a foreign war against
their will"
NeOsho, Missouri, Citizens
Vote 69.9 Per Cent Against War
Precipitated by an article in Life
magazine on May rs which pur-
ported to show a "unanimity of in
terventionist sentiment" in Neosho,
Missouri, a poll of every adult listed
in the city directory was taken by
the publishers of the Springfield
(Mo.) Newspapers, Inc, to disprove
this charge.
The America First Committee,
through its organizer o. K. Arm
strong, challenged the conclusion of
Lies reporter that Neosho, typical
county seat in the Middle West,
favored war. 1t paid the costs of con-
Quoting an impartial and compre-
hensive poll of Neosho citizens.
The question asked was, "Do you
favor United States entry into the
European war;" Of 1888 ballots
which were mailed, 994 were returned
marked as follows: Against inter-
vention, 692; for Intervention, 276;
uncertain, rs. Returned undelivered
were 80 ballots The result of the
poll showed, therefore, that 69.6 per
cent of Neosho's adults were against
American participation in war, a far
cry from the "unanimity of inter-
ventionist sentiment" reported by