Mrs. Roosevelt Warns U.S. Position on International Human Rights Covenant in Doubt

A sudden turn of events in the United Nations Human Rights Commission late today placed in doubt the position of the U.S. on the projected International Covenant of Human Rights. The commission adopted a proposal of the United Kingdom to transmit the draft covenant without the text for Articles 24 and 25, which are to be drafted by the Economic and Social Council.

The vote was taken in the face of a warning by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, U.S. delegate and chairman of the Commission, that the U.S. would be unable to evaluate the covenant without a decision on the content of Article 24. This article deals with the responsibility of federal states for legislation by its component political elements–such as the state governments in the U.S,– to implement the covenant.