Editors' War Poll

U.S. newspaper editors are opposed, two-to-one, to U.S. entry into a snooting war. Such was the verdict announced last week by Editor & Publisher, based on its poll of 1,878 daily newspapers, of whom 871 replied. Question: Do you favor immediate active military and naval participation in the war? Answer: Yes, 250; No, 615. Six States showed majorities for war: Florida, 10 to 9; Louisiana, 3 to 1; Maine, 5 to 0; Vermont, 4 to 1; Virginia, 7 to 3; Wyoming, 4 to 1. Three tied: North Carolina (7-7), North Dakota (1-1), Rhode Island (2-2). New York divided almost evenly: No, 25 to 22.

On the question Do you favor seizure . . . of strategic bases owned by foreign powers? the score was reversed: Yes, 589; No, 228.

A significant side light on Editor & Publisher's poll are the findings of James S. Twohey Associates, analysts of newspaper opinion, on war sentiment as reflected in editorial columns rather than by editors personally. In the past seven months ending July 31, a total of 30% of the U.S. press at one time or another editorialized for outright U.S. entry into war. Counting papers that demanded some form of more lively aid for Britain, interventionist editorials came out in 65% of the press in the average week. But the weekly percentage fluctuated widely around the average. In the week of May 3, following sharp demand for convoys, interventionist sentiment in the U.S. press skyrocketed to 73%. The following week, when Secretary of War Stimson urged use of the U.S. Navy for convoying, the closer prospect of war brought interventionist sentiment tobogganing to 50% by May 24.

This fact documents Editor & Publisher's assertion: "There is no doubt but that this opinion would change overnight following an overt act on the part of any of the Axis powers."

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