GALLUP POLL
SIR,—With reference to your comments on my letter in the last issue may I say two things:
(a) In a very important international problem, such as discussions with Russia, there are clearly many facets. Differently worded questions dealing with the same problem, therefore, bring different facets to the minds of the persons being questioned on each occa- sion. Accordingly, these differently worded questions get different results. So far from this being surprising, as you seem to find, this is what one should expect.
(b) You misquote me. I did not say that you `do not really see much point in this kind of investiga- tion.' I said that you do not like opinion polls. My terminology was chosen with care, since it carries implications that you do not like giving the ordinary man in the Street the opportunity of making his voice Social Surveys (Gallup Poll) Ltd., 59 Brook Street, Mayfair, WI
[Pharos writes : '1 neither quoted nor misquoted M r. Durant. I merely said that I did "not really see much point in this kind of investigation." This is not because of any objections to "giving the ordinary man in the street the opportunity of making his voice heard," but because I do not think that the Gallup Poll in its questions about complicated international problems is able to interpret his voice accurately.'— Editor, Spectator.]
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