Americans in 21 cities, questioned in a sample poll through man-in-the-street interviews, believe “almost without a single exception” that Adolf Eichmann is guilty of crimes against the Jewish people and crimes against humanity. The New York Herald Tribune reported today.
The poll was conducted by The Herald Tribune and other newspapers in various cities, including Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington, Houston, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Dayton, St. Louis, Rochester (N. Y.), Los Angeles and Oklahoma City.
Respondents were asked whether they thought Eichmann received a fair trial before the panel of three judges in Jerusalem, which have been hearing the case for four months; what they thought his sentence should be if convicted; and what type of punishment he should receive if found guilty. Summarizing the results of the poll, The Herald Tribune reported: Almost without a single exception, the men and women interviewed believed Eichmann was guilty and that his trial had proved him to be. The very few people who disagreed made a point of Eichmann’s claim that he was an underling taking orders from higher-ups. “The margin was very narrow between those who thought Eichmann should be put to death for his crimes and those who thought he should be given life imprisonment. There was a shade more opinion favoring the latter. As to what the court probably will decide: Most persons questioned believed Eichmann would be found guilty but that his life would be spared. Many seem to think he would get life imprisonment.”
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