COMMENTS OF SENATORS YOUNG AND MCGOVERN ON VIETNAM POLL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00337R000300070013-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 2001
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: September 1, 1970
• Content Type: TELEGRAM

LEPARTMEN OF STATE-TEEEGRAM
-Oiw
CABLE SECRETARI
CONFIDENTIAL HCM163
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011`x40
R1050OZ SEP 70
'' AMEMBASSY SAIGON
-'TT O' SE C ST AT E W A.S HD C 5292
INFO AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
C0NF IDE'NT I ALSSAIGON I418.8
LIMD IS
XATHMANDI EYES ONLY FOR. AMB, BUNKER
SUB4: COMMENTS OF SENATORS .YOUNG. AND MCGOVERN ON VIETNAM POLL
REF: STATE 141716
IALTHOUGH FIGURES DO .NOT. JIBE, BEST MISSION GUESS IS POLL
CITED BY'.SENATORS YOUNG AND MCGOVERN IS PACIFICATION ATTITUDE
ANALYSIS SYSTEM (PAAS) POLL FOR MAY OR JUNE WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN
ARP TO FIT SENATOR YOUNG'S INTERPRETATION. PAAS IS DESIGNED
S MANAGEN:,ENT TOOL FOR CORDS ON TRENDS IN RURAL VIETNAMESE
,T1 ITU.D,ESS TOWARDS PACIFICATION. RESULTS OF PAAS GENERALLY
'ELATE WELL WITH INFORMATTI-ON FROM OTHER SOURCES, BUT SYSTEM
IN OPERATION LONG ENOUGH FULLY VALIDATE FINDINGS. DATA NOT
CTVTT.'n niIT Rrr Iq' t)7 1 TMTTaTTnN1G f1F T)4rgr Pm 1q Amn n r
IT GAL SENSITIVITY TO GVN IT NECESSARY INFORMATION BE CLOSELY
11
IN MAY AND JUNE PAAS POLLS PEOPLE WERE ASKED WHETHER
THEY WERE AWARE OF PRESIDENT NIXON'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT 150,000
RE US TROOPS WILL BE WITHDRAWN WITHIN ONE MORE YEAR. ALL BUT
29.19 PERCENT IN MAY AND 39.9 IN JUNE AWARE OF ANNOU.14,0MENT.
WHEN THOSE WHO KNEW OF THIS DECISION WERE ASKED {ANY fi ZY
THOUGHT IT WAS MA } , REASONS GIVEN BY MOST WERE A) ARV N NOW ABLE
TO BEAR BURDEN OF 1AR (38.2 AND 32.0` AND B) TO CARRY 0.'T POLICY
OF VIETNAMIZATION }(QQMU AND 15.4). WHEN ASKED 'HETH R THIS WISE
State Dept. declassification & release in~6ryp ipg"Vale
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE TELEGRAM
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PAGE 02 SA11;N 14188 .0108092
MOVE OR UNWIS`EMOVE HEAVY MAJORITY SAID WISE (59.6 AND 68.7)
MAIN REASONS "ATVEN EQR ANSWER IT WAS 'WISE MOVE WERE A) TAKES
AWAY IMPG RTI P 6PA ANDA ASSET OF VC (29.9 AND 35.1) ,. B)
PROMOTES I~ZkjtbN (13.7 AND 21.2) C) WILL HELP PRODUCE
RESULTS IN PEAC ?'. KS (11.2 AND 20.6, AND D) WITHDRAWAL WILL
REDU VIGHTINC AND KILLING IN VIET-NAM (18.9 AND 9. 1).
3. WE HAVE AL$Q BEEN QUERIED BY AP ON POLL AS CITED BY
SENATOR MCGOV~. ALTHOUGH INTERPRETATION BY TWO SENATORS
IS NOT ;A1 "FATTED BY POLL QUESTIONS AND RESULTS, WE
ARE "FOLI, USG POLICY ON OVERSEAS POLLS ( NOT ORDER FROM
'
BUNKFF ) BY INOT RELEASING RESULTS OF THIS OR ANY
AP
OT] LS ON VIETN MESE ATTITUDES. TO. MAKE EXCEPTION WOULD
ONLY } HTEN CONTROVERSY, POSSIBLY COMPROMISE OUR ABILITY TO'
SUCH POLLS IN VIET. NAM, AND OPEN OURSELVES TO CONTINUED
AltSTS FOR PUBLIC RELEASE IN FUTURE.
4. IF QUM '.'FURTHER BY PRESS HERE, WE WILL NOTE STANDING USG
POLICY T 4A OVERSEAS ATTITUDE POLLS ARE MANAGEMENT TOOLS INT t:ED
FOR INTER,L U5E TO ASSIST PLANNING, THAT WE DO NOT RELEASr
RESULTS OF SUCH POLLS (IRRESPECTIVE WHETHER RESULTS FAVORABLE
TO USG INTEREST OR . NOT) , AND THAT THEREFORE WE CANNOT CONFIRM
STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO TWO SENATORS.
BERGER
CONFIDENTIAL
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INFO OCT-01 SS-20 DODF-00 USIA-04 PM-03 AID-12 NSCE-00
NSC-10 CIAE-00 NSAE-00 INR-07 H-01 PRS-01 RSC-01 /071 R
66662
DRAFTED BY :EA /VN :LHHYDLE
APPROVED BY :EA.:AMBASSADOR SULLIVAN
EA/P:MR.BARBER (DRAFT)
EA/VN:MR.ENGLE
AA /V N :MR . NOOTE R (PHONE )
OSD/P:LTC. TOCCI (PHONE)
USIA /IAF :0 .HAYS (PHONE )
R 290047Z AUG 70
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY SAIGON
C O N F I D E NIT I A L STATE 141716
LIMD IS
JOINT STATE-AID-DEFENSE-USIA MESSAGE
.127777
1. SENATOR MCGOVERN ALLEGED ON AUGUST 23 "ISSUES AND
ANSWERS" ABC TV PROGRAM THAT A POLL CONDUCTED IN VIETNAM
BY THE U.S. MILITARY COMMAND SHOWS THAT 65 PERCENT OF THE
PEOPLE WANT U.S. TROOPS OUT OF VIETNAM.
2. SEN. MCGOVERN'S REMARK APPEARS TO REFER BACK TO
STATEMENTS MADE ON THE SENATE FLOOR JULY 24 AND 31 BY
SENATOR YOUNG (0-OHIO). ON JULY 31 SEN. YOUNG SAID IN PART:
"...A RECENT SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE U.S. MILITARY
COMMAND IN SOUTH VIETNAM, SHOWS THAT 65 PERCENT
OF ALL PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE WANT ALL AMERICANS
OUT OF THEIR COUNTRY. THIS SURVEY HAS BEEN SUPPRESSED
ALLEGEDLY ON ORDER FROM AM3ASSADOR ELLSWORTH BUNKER
AND TOP ARMY OFFICIALS ENJOYING THE GOOD LIFE IN SAIGON.
THE AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY REPORTED THAT 30
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PAGE 02 STATE 141716
PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED HAD NO OPINION AND ONLY 5 PERCENT, MOSTLY IN
SAIGON, WANTED AMERICAN TO STAY.
3. WE HAVE REVIEWED RECENT SAIGON OPINION SURVEYS BY
JUSPAO CONTRACTOR CENTER FOR VIETNAMESE STUDIES AVAILABLE
HERE, A.S WELL AS -CORDS' MONTHLY PACIFICATION ATTITUDE
SYSTEM (PAP. S) SURVEYS AND CAN FIND NOTHING REMOTELY
SIMILAR TO POLL TO WHICH SENATORS REFER.
4. HOWEVER, IT OCCURS TO US THAT A PROVINCE OR REGION-
WIDE SURVEY BY ELEMENTS OF THE CORDS PSG RURAL SURVEY
PROGRAM MIGHT HAVE PRODUCED RESULTS THAT COULD PURPORT
TO REFLECT PACIFIST SENTIMENT ALONG LINES SENATORS
INDICATE. SUCH A POLL WOULD NOT NECESSARILY HAVE BEEN
REPORTED TO WASHINGTON.
5. REQUEST YOU DETERMINE WHETHER THERE WAS A SURVEY
WHICH COULD HAVE LENT ITSELF TO INTERPRETATION MADE BY
SENATORS. APPRECIATE CABLE REPLY SOONEST. IF THERE WAS
SUCH A SURVEY, PLEASE SUPPLY TEXT OF QUESTION, REASON FOR
POSING IT AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF RELEASE TO ABC.
6. IF ANY POLL DID PRODUCE SURPRISING RESULT ALLEGED BY
SENATORS, MISSION SHOULD COMMENT..
7. WE ARE RESPONDING TO CONGRESSIONAL AND PUBLIC
INQUIRIES TO THE EFFECT THAT WE KNOW OF NO SUCH POLL
BUT ARE CHECKING. JOHNSON
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