American, Soviet Delegates Clash at U.N. on Soviet Anti-semitism Issue

A reminder by the United States representative on the Human Rights Commission that the Soviet Government still had not replied in the United Nations to charges of discrimination against Soviet Jewry touched off a sharp exchange here yesterday.

The reminder was offered by Mrs. Marietta P. Tree, who called anti-Semitism a “disease which none of us can afford to ignore.” She said it was encouraging that some governments had given assurances that perpetrators of anti-Semitic incidents would be punished and action taken to prevent incidents in the future.

She then criticized the Soviet Union indirectly with the comment that “some countries” had not reported what they were doing to prevent such abuses. She referred to reports from various groups charging anti-Semitic incidents and discrimination against Soviet Jews.

Mrs. Tree added that since the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination had decided to take up the question at a later meeting if circumstances made that necessary, the United States delegation proposed that UNESCO, the Secretary-General and the nongovernmental organizations concerned continue to keep this question under review.”

She said it was also the view of the American delegation that “interested non-governmental organizations should… continue to provide the Secretary General and UNESCO with reports on any incidents or actions in this field in order to assist the Secretary General in keeping abreast of the question.” She said that “of course” such material should be incorporated in the periodic reports of the commission. Several Jewish organizations had submitted reports with specific charges of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union which had been condemned but not dealt with specifically by the Soviet delegate.

V.I. Sapozhnikov, the Soviet delegate, angrily replied that “raising of charges concerning Soviet Jews is an attempt on behalf of the United States Government and of American Zionist organizations to distract attention from neo-nazism in West Germany. It is nothing but a smoke screen since everybody knows that Jews enjoy equal treatment in Russia.”

He added that two months ago, when Jewish complaints against the Soviet Union were brought up at a meeting of the Subcommission, he was supported in his denial by the representative of the United Arab Republic and by Professor Hiscocks of Britain. Sir Samuel Hoare, the British delegate, replied sharply with an attack on the Soviet delegate.