SUMMARY
JI.
t a tim 'iThen legislators
pros and cons of
ed'.'.cators
and chtITchmn-re debating the
compulsor;:l military training after the war the public
definitely favors such a yrogram , according to the findings of the various public opinion polls.
NaRC FTIINGS
Compulsory Military Training
in the United States?
favor pas-
7910 of the public would
sage of a law requiring
year
Page 2
Effect on Other COQ
one
compulsory military
training for 18- year-old boys.
tries?
71% think that such
lation
Page 5
Effect on Future Peace?
a requirement
similar legi8-
would encourge
countries.
in other
79% of adult civilians
thin com-
pulsory military training
lead to
-:rs.inThe 79% includes:
48% who say
difference " and
Page 6
would not
itself
futlU'
" It
would make no
31% who believe compulsory
military training would
:mke future wars " Less
likely. "
FININGS OF OTER POLLS
Gallup
63%
of the public favor requiring
every able- bodied young man to
serre one year
Page
army
in the
YJajorities in Australia
and Canada agree with opinion
IJ.VY
in the United States.
Fortune
61% prefer
drft
retaining the
peacetime
rather than
returni
to the regular arm system of
Page
taking volunteers only.
Iowa Poll
70% would favor a program crunbinin
basic
Page
military
physical
ing in
trades and skills for
civilian use.
- 1 -
training with
instruction and train-
PART I
FINDINGS
NOR
COMPULORY MILTIARY TRAINING IN TIE UNITED STATES?
About fOlIT out of
favor
defj.nitely
five people in the United States
Cbm-
pulsory military training legislation.
NORC interviewers talked with people in cities , towns , and
every section of the country -- with farmrs
housewives
many
making up a representative cross-
others
All were asked:
section of civilians 21 and over.
"ivould you be
in favor of or would you be against a law
to
would require boys
military training
take a year'
18
the war when they become
Favor
war workers
professiona people
truck drivers , business men , clerks , stenographers
service workers and
rurl areas in
military training
that
after
years old?
fJ / /
/11/'79%/! I
I/
/ll
I I I II
I 110
Oppose military tx ining
Undecided
= 100%
Included in the 79
mili tarJr training
the progr
per cent are 3 per cent 'vho WOl1.d favor compl1.sory
the boys were allowed to finish scho()l first.
were like the R.
Perso!lal interest
O. T . C .
in si.lch a
influence on an individual'
the boys
,vere not needed
legislative program appears to have little
s feelings.
Of parents with sons under 18
who would be affected by compulsory military training,
the idea , while
a t home
77 per cent favor
of people with neither a Sbn or a brother under 18
per cent reply affirmtively.
.. THREE PER CENT WOULD FAVOR MILITARY
TRAININGl..
- 2 -
Slightly more opposed to the
proposal
are farmers
than other grov
Rocky Mountain and Pacific states.
vromen , and residents of the
Differ-
ences are s:mll , however , and no individual group differs more than 7 or
8 per cent from the total population.
IN TREll
These comments
viewed ,
OvlN
WORD
selected from the many expressed by the people inter-
bring out various shades of opinion on the issue and lend flavor
and substance to the percentage figures.
Favor
Comvulsor
Persons who mention no
Militar ' Training
particulr qualifications
in expressing their a.p-
proval of compulsory military training legislation
the
character-buildi
is
It mal\:es bo;y' s
size
advantages of such training:
youn man. It
" It
good for a
teaches him how to take orders and to
obey -- two things few of our parents
ever teach us. I know it mad. e a man
out of me.
11
most often empr
Discharged veteran
World War II
Oklah oma
Wife of textile
tetter citizens.
spector ,
Upper Darby,
Pennsylvania
If
It I S a vronderful thing for
are not free to loaf
boys. They
OIl the streets.
if each young
rf'an realizes his duty to his country.
A nation is stronger
Training will make them realize
Others mention the need for
it.
Pensioner
Arizona
Phoenix
Wife of public health
physic ian , Connecticut
Rre;parednes E!:
Military training gives bO;Ys disci-
pline , and in case of another 'r, r they
Wife of mechanical
engineer ,
Connecticut
would be prepared.
We should have a good up- to- date ArfJ.
and Navy.
- 3 -
Craneman , Lorain Ohio
II I favor stICh legislation
two bOYR. I
feel jt,
- and I have
\.ife of postl empoyee
might be the
saving of their lives if we . should
Iowa
SO long as foreign countries
Ice Salesman
become involved in another war.
do it
Chicago
we should too.
Still others add:
The progmm should. be strictly
tary
not an educational
as YJr. Roosevelt suggested.
mili-
training--
Girls should be included , too.
Retired businessman
Alhambra ,
'Viife of
chanic ,
Oppose
ulsory Milita
Most of the people who oppose
California
airplane meNew Orleans
Training:
compulsory mili tary
t
dining
do so on the
grounds that it is undemocratic
II I don
I t
believe in
forced mil! tary
Y..rket gardner
training or forced regimentation.
wood , Connecticut
vie Came to this
not fighters.
ScraIT
cou, try to be iree,
InSUXEmce broker
on , Pennsylvania
Compulso:ry military training leads to
Refrigeration mechanic
York City
NevT
If it were compulsory' it would no
would
'-life of Arm lieuten-
dictatorship. "
II
Elm-
longer be a democracy. But
favor optional trainin.
New Orleans
another war
Others fear peacetime conscription would lead to
\-lhen yo
ant ,
prepare for war you are sure
Woman pensioner , Washington state
I think when you practice certain
want to mal\:e them effec-
Civil engineer , Chicago
to have it.
things you
tive.
That I s what we fought against
in the last war
Germn lnilitarism.
Compulsory military training would
cause another war and we are not
military nation.
-4
Some give
still different reasons:
CarJenter , Virginia
We need our boys at home.
They are too young to
away from.
go
1-1oman tailor , Coving, Kent ucky
ton
home. II
II
It doesn t take long to
Owner of hardware
store , Ohio
train boys.
Why go Eu.ropean?!!
yle
usually have another
don
Fairbury,
Housewife
J.ebrasY
Har
and then it vTould be
for 20 years
mmecessary. "
It
If we keep those
armed )
other nations dis-
Shipyard mechanic
Portland ,
we wouldn! t need to be armed.
Oregon
ECT OH OTHER COTJI'I IUK3?
Seven
out of ten people
bel:teve that
if the United
passes legislation to establish a program of
States Congress
compulsory military traip
ing in peacetime , other cOlurtries will be more likely to establish mili-
tary training programs for their youth.
The NORC question:
a law tlwt
their boys?"
requirecl our boys
pass
If the TJni ted states did
take military training, do you think other countries wouZd be
more l ikeZy
to require mi li tary training for
or less likely
More likely
rIIL!/ 1717!
1777
1(1!11T1l
Less likely
310
19%
No difference
Undec ideo.
100%
Majorities in all groups agree on this question.
and persons with some college training reply
larger percentages than the
pub;Jic as a whole.
- 5 -
vlomen
adults under 40
More likely
lt by somewhat
:per cent. wbo
Of tbe 7)
tbink a camp11) sory
the United States wOlud
programs ,
:miJ :itary t.ra
encourage other countries
these reactions are representative:
one else is goir
it oUl selves.
vay
.. . Most cOlUltries
T:fat is one reason
lJ in
to institute similar
If 116 car:FY a
gu, some-
soldiers ,
they
We couldn't stop others if we
did
to carry one as well.
can be made in a few weeks a
jnjng :prog1"
1'18
. . . If
needed.
have compl,usory military
training now.
some people left their own countries and came here to
the United States.
An Indianapolis insurance adjuster ,
cOlT!llents:
Less like
COl,Ultry,
one of tne st ll minority who reply,
In vie"l of
the rnarvelous
potent 1al of
other countries would see themselves unable to cope 'i.dth
A retired New Jersey policeman answers:
75 per oent
II
have
of the other countries
It
If
Jakes no difference
this
us.
because
COJJ1pulsory military training
laws anyway.
EFFECT ON FUlJRE PEACE?
A definite majority u 79
per cent -- of those
comptusory military training
would not
ly.
in the United States
in itself lead to fut ure
per cent replying
No
and other
countries
This 79 percenc includes 48
difference ll and 31 per cent answering
Less likewars.
tha
It is significant that
military
interviewed think that
training would rnake wars
as many thiJ:.. peacetime
less likely as think
them more likely.
- 6 -
it 'ivould make
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NORC interviewers asked people in all walks of life:
'IIf the ' lJni teel States anel oL7te ' c:Oulltl'ies had laws reql.U
more likely
ture,
ing
take military trainin ; do you think it would be
or
less likely that there would be wars in the fuUXuldntt it make any difference?1/
to
their boys
or
Those
All
Compulsory military trai ing would
make future \,ars
more li ely
It vTOuld make
wars
with o
inions
14%
15%
100'%
100'%
ikely
less
It would :mke no differenca
Undecided
Outstanding differences of opinion among population groups , sharpened by
the exclusion of the " Undecided" responses , are shown graphically below:
MORE
LESS
LI KEL Y
LI KELY
UNDECIDED
DIFFERENCE
ALL THOSE I NTERV I EWED
;tflf
ThiJ
BY EDUCA T I ON
HI GH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE
GRADE SCHOOL
::i;;,
BY SECT ION
ROCKY MOUNT A I NAND
59%
PACI FI eSTATES
NEW ENGLAND AND MI DOLE
ATLANTf C STATES
14/vi
SOUTH
::::::::::;:::::::;:::;3
%:::::::;::,:,:.:::.:, "/1/
T,.
/X'
;S31".
'z':':'
01"......
/0 :':;:X::::::::::::::;.
J 5%
V'
MI DWEST
BY RACE
WH! TES
:::::::33
:::t'
53%(::;:?:%,/
NEGROES
8Y PERSONAL INTEREST
THOSE WI TH NEI THER A SON
OR BROTHER UNDER I 8
:;:j:t:: :n:#%:: :t:
THOSE WITH A SON
UNDER I 8
- 7 -
t:::;
54%
//Z
. rOO
Differences by Population Grou
under 18 and persons with neither sons nor brothers
Persons with sons
who 1vould be affected by the proposed legislation answer the
ost identically.
In every population
half believe that compulsory
question
group interviewed about on/?
militar;v training vTould make no difference
in the prospect of future wars
Ou.tstandin are residents of the Roc1c;Y' Mountain and Pacific states,
per cent of whom reply II No
are considered.
plying " More
difference " when or.y persons with opinions
Negroes are the only group with higher percentages re-
People with a colleg
likely " than replying " Less likely.
or high school background anS1ver " Lesr; likely "
approxiInately thee ties
Those with least education are
as often as they answer " VJ.re likely.
more equally divided.
IN THEIR OWN WOBD
Persons who believe that
compulsory military
States and other countries '
cent of the cross-section
will make future wars
training
in the United
more likely
14 per
add comments such as these:
The more you train for war , the more
likely there will be wars.
Retired grocer
, Kansas
Wich-
In Germny military training has led
Dairy farmer
Phoenix , Arizona
near
to war.
At any slight difference the coun-
tries would turn their guns at
each
other. "
ita
Wife of electrician
Portland ,
Oregon
The countries would be 'building them-
Truck driver , Pembroke
selves up against each other.
Ma.ssachusetts
-8-
The 31 per cent
less likely
who thin.k peacetime military training will make wars
remark:
The stronger the
armies are
\-ife of house painter
the
Helena ,
less likelihood o.fwar.
When Americans
have training they
Montana
Ordnanc e pla employee
Tooele ,
are the best in the worl , and other
countries would be leery of starting
Utah
anhing.
Wife of newspaper ma-
We would be prepared and would have
any other nation stopped before they
ager , Pennsylvania
started. "
Other countries
would be afraid to
Rousewife,
Indiana
Marshall,
- if a good internaional police force is ma. intained.
Saleslady,
California
southern
fight us then.
Less likely -
A wide variety of comments come
from the
48 per ceITti who believe
BSdiffere!
compulsory military training makes
in the
that
likelihood of
future wars:
If there is going to be a war , noth-
in ,fill s.
Enineer s wife ,
If they are going to fight ,
they "rill
anyway. II
't hur if
You ain
you get the training. According to the Bible , you
have wars anyy.
It isn 't this militarism that causes
Carpenter
Virginia
Farmer
, near La urin-
Instrument maker
Washington ,
It isn 't the boys that make the wars.
They just figb.t for the old timers.
Carpenter
The old country will fight
We thougt that if we did,
anyay.
t have an
arm we wouldn'
have a war. That
didn' t work. ' As long as
we
are in
the ascendancy and
I t attack
behave ourselves
us.
-9-
Blacksburg,
bury, North Carolioo
wars; it' s the polit ic ians .
they won
Balti-
more
tiol? it.
D. C.
Englewood,
Colorado
Won
n pensioner
Spokane , Washington
Furooce manufacturer
Oregon
Portland ,
..
COMPARISONS
trainin
sor mili
inions bn COll
It is of interest to compare
with opinions on related issues. Areas where differences are small are
just as significant in their own way as are areas where differences are
large.
only those ,with
For oonvenience
Of persons wlLo FAVOR compulsory
ary traini
in the United
States:
opinions are considered.
Of persons who OPPOSE compulsory military training in the
United States:
9% think compulsory , military
tn.e United
States and other cOlu1tries
will make future wars more
training in
43% think it
will make future
more likely
wars
likely.
39% think it
wars
52% ,
future
will n
less likely
ference
68% believe the United States
will
fight another war
to see the
United States join a postwar
world orga
o.E'
izati
such an organization
will be ru chiefly
by
Great Britain , RusSia , and
the United States.
Russia
governuent will
kind of
affect
other countries.
82% think
will make no
100% *
75% believe the United States
fight another
war
that before
to keep th
63% would like
United States
war
to
see the
jaia post-
world or aniza t ion
65% think suc:Q an organiza-
tion wiJl be run by li the
big three.
Russia
55% believe
kind of
goverrIDent will influence
other countries.
Pear
!(rbor, President RooseveJ t
tried
it
difference.
in 50 years.
72% would like
56% believe
49% think
will
50 years.
62% thinl
lt will make wars
J-ess likely
make no dif
= 100
thinlc it will
8% think
United
59% think FDR tried to keep
State s out of
the United
ar.
the w'
States out of the wa
that before Pearl
should
have tried to keep the
90% thin
Harbor the President
country out of
8910 think FDR
should have
tried to keep out.
war.
COMPARISONS ARE BASED ON THE SAMt QUESTION, THE PERCENTAGES
Y.AtED
EACM OF THE REMAINING COMPARISONS IS BASED ON A DIFFERENT
VERTICA
CAUSE THE FIRST THR
AOD TO 100 VERTICA
QUESTION , NOT INTER
- 10 -
PART II
FINDINGS
OTHER
POLLS
GAOP
Since 1938 the
used a number
American Inet itute
of surey questions
of Public Opinion
(Gallup Poll) has
to measure public opinion regarding
compulsory military training.
Befo:re
Pearl Ha
The Selectiva Service Act was
siged by President
Roosevelt on September
, 1940 , and registration took place one month later. Between December
1938 , when Gallup first measured opinion on compulsory military training
and August , 1940 ,public opinion on the issue completely reversed
itself.
During the first year and a half covered by the Gallup trend the proportion of persons with opinions endorsing conscription increased from one-
third to one-half the
popultion.
During June , 19!
jumed to nearly two- thirds , where it
, approving opinion
remained until Congress took
action.
Gallup asked:
liDo you think
every abZe- bodied young man 20 years oZd shouZd
be made to serve in the Army or Navy for one year?'"
Yes
193$ December
1939 October
1940 June 2
37%
June 23
July 28
August 11
NOT REPORTED
- 11 -
Undec ided
63%
=- 100%
Women and people in their twenties
sllJaller majorities than
favored the proposal by somewhat
did the popv ation as a whole.
In October , 1940 , after the passage of the Selective Service Act, Gallup
asked:
IIAre you in
the selective draft
favor
in principle?11
Undeci
Yes
84%
United States
10%
:: 100%
6%
New York City only
Midwest only
After
Pearl Harbor
Nearly two years after the United States
Institute of Public Opinion began
the issue
tered the war
the measurem.ent
of peacetime military training.
the American
of public opinion on
Results indicate that atti-
tudes on the question are beooming stabilized:
/lAtter this war
is over, do you think every able- bodied young
man should be required to serve one year in the Army or Navy?/I
Yes
1943
July
Yes
Undec j.cled
66%
27%
7%
(Opinios Only)
100%
7110
November
1944
September
Gallup finds men slightly n
ore in favor of the measure than
persons in the 30 - 49 age group more in favor
or older
, and Democrats
representative reaction:
giving more
Yes "
women
n those either younger
replies tha!: Republicans.
Maybe the Japs would not be so quick to
stab
us in the baok then.
ANOTHE
GALLUP QY,ESTtON , ASKED IN AUGUST '44, INDICATED THAT "71% OF PERSONS WITH
OPINIONS WOUI.D 'FAVOR INCREA$INQ THE SIZE OF OUR ARMY AND NAVY BY DRAFT'
BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 32 TO SERVE I N THE ARMED FORCES FOR ONE YEAR.
.. 12 -
MEN
---,
j.
/ / /
COMPARIBONS
Questions on p-eacetime military
training have been asked by Gallup Polls
in four Enlish-speaking nations.
During 19 3, opinion compared as fol-
lows:
PERENAGES APPROVING
Ca.nada
Great Britain
C01-iPULSORY M1LTIARY
United States
Australia
66%
79%
TEA IN ING:
48%
All those interviewed
Persons with opinions
56%
Great Britain
In March 1943, the British Iastitute of Public Opinion asked:
"Would you approve or disapprove if
continued after the war?"
Al)prove 4
mi l
tary conscription were
1r.
Unde
sauproVe 35
J.
= 100%
Opinion in Great Britain varied widely among population groups
shown by the chart
as is
belo..r:
PERCENGES APPROVING PEACETJM CONSCRIPTION
All those
intervie..red
Men
7711148%11111 IIII
Q71ZlLL
Women
Persons 21- 29 years of age
Persons 30 and over
/1 (II II! (II I I
14o%lllll
VIIIII
1/11/7/11111
9% III
1111./111
Upper standard-of-liyj,
group
Middle
Lower
I!/
rrnl1
!i/II !LL
III !l5
1111 I!
%7ITTm!/1/
1111/1 (11//
rI/7l77 JiJr;m1J
- 13 -
/(1
1/1
:;
" "
Canada
When the
Canadian Institute of Public Opinion repeated the question in
November , 1944
training
increased percentage
after the waX'
slightly.
and the
desired compulsory
Undec ided
military
percentage had decreased
The CIPO question was worded:
After the war is over, do you think even; able- bodied young
man should be required to serve one year in the Army, llavy, or
Air F'orce?J/
Yes
1943
Y..roh
1944
November
Undec ided
56%
10%
34,
= 100%
Australia
Also in 1943
the Australian Public Opinion Poll asked a commonwealth
cross-section:
"Should compulsory military train tng for young
men
cont inue
after the war?"
Continue 79r
Stop
!.2.--
1410
MGn and viOmen held almost identical opinions.
lowest incomes
(who usually
compulsion), the 'No '
give
the highest
100%
Even among people on the
vote against any form of
vote "''as only 20 per cent.
'r;,;pical
Yes , a country caught napping goes to the wall
cornments were:
and
this war
should be the last.
l?hen the 79
per cerlt in favor of peacetime
Which would you prefer - a year
military
trainil were asked:
t s continuous training
at about 18 - or
say three years t spare- time trainil1g vith short annual camps?"
of every three :versons replying fav?red spare- time ,
would give boys a ohance to learn a trade.
- 14 -
traini
two
, because
out
" it
FORTUNE
Fortune *
several aspects of the
s reported public opinion regardir
The three key questions:
problem.
States
"After the war do you think the Tint ted '
SllOUZd draft aZ
younrg Tlen for a
amount of Army training during peace-
certain
time?1/
No 21%
Yes
IIAfter the war
you think the
do
young men for a
time or should
Una- eo ided
10% =
100%
Un! ted 'Stctes should draft all
certain amount of Army traintng
back to the regul ar
we go
during peaceArmy sys tem of taking
volunteers onlyp,
Drft 62
itA
!!ndecided.
Volunteers 29
tter the war do you th ink the un
ar.my large enough (or
= 100%
i ted St ates could have an
the country' s needs by taking volunteers
only?
Yes 42%
Alnlost half of the public
lenoath of such
Undec ided
No
Fortune find.s ,
training, with onl
period of two years or longor.
16% = 100%
vlOuld suggest one year as the
29 per cent advocating a training
Three out of foUl ('76%) would start the
prbgram for youn men at or before the age of 18.
II In other words , It Fort1.1.e
comments
the Army would await a boy at the
high school gate and give him his first brush with the outside world be-
fore he took a job or went to college.
, I
- 15 -
'-''''
,"
, .- .. ' ....-
. " , . -".. .
' "
t..
.-. "'
.,
"0 ".
he Iowa Poll , sponsored by
tl!e
..' --..W-_'
" regardin several aspect'S
oorn state
pulsory military training.
The salient points revealed are:
of can-
good idea " Congessional pasmitar serv-
Iowans would consider a
sage of " a law requiring a
year of oompulsory
for l8-year-old boys after the war 1s over.
45% think such
a law " sho1;d
be passed
ends, II while 43. per oent think " we
happens after peace
COl!
fightin
before the
should wait to see what
es. II
70% of the Iow cross-section would favor a program combining
militarl
1(h;ysical instruction and trntrades a,nd skills of civilian use. (19 prefer one
basic
training with
ing in
year of straight military trainin and 4%
military and CCC work.
a combination of
that road-bu.ildin or forestry
work under the prowhat the work is vlOrth. (35% favor $50
a month basic military pay for such service. )
55% thin
gra
should be
59% of Iowans
paid
thin compulsory military training would make l1
difference in the United
peaceful living, " 25 per
difference
and 16 per
lead to aggression ,
States
traditional policy of
cent think it
cent
11
would make " some
think it would
definite
This report is based on a nation-wide surey by the National
Opinion Research Center , University of Denver. The sciEmtifically determined cross-section consisted of a typical miniature of the popultion of the United States with ' the proper
each
proportion -- in
geographical
of men and
section....
women , youn and old , rich and poor , various minority groups,
and residents of urban , tow, and rural areas. This surey
included 2 549 personal interviews. Statistically these are
sufficient to be within
correct 997 times in
000. It is
. 'I' "
Des Moines Sunday Register , reoently re-
ported opinion in the It tall
71% of
,. .'
" ..
per cent
understood that the Gallup and
Fortune sureys
are based on similar cross..sect1ona. The Iowa Poll, including from 1, 000 to 1 500 cases , should be within 5 per cent
correct 997 times in 1, 000.
.. 16 ..