An Australian proposal for creation of a European Court of Human Rights was rejected today by a vote of 15 to 4 in the Italian Commission of the Peace Conference, thus virtually eliminating it from any further consideration, since similar proposals had been defeated earlier in other commissions.
Speaking against the proposal, Soviet delegate Andrei Vishinsky said that it was “juridically and politically illiterate.” He declared that if such a court were created for Europe, it would be reasonable to expect that a court be set up to guarantee the rights of Indians in Asia and Negroes in the United States. The Australian proposal was supported by New Zealand, Belgium and South Africa.
Earlier, representatives of Jewish organizations appealed to the Hungarian Commission to include in the treaty with Hungary provisions which would safeguard Jewish interests. They pointed to the recent anti-Jewish outbreaks in the country as evidence of the continuing anti-Semitism which necessitates special safeguards for Jews. The action taken up to now by the government has been insufficient to guarantee the future security of the Jews, they said.
The appeal was signed by the American Jewish Conference, American Jewish Committee, World Jewish Congress, Board of Deputies of British Jews, Anglo-Jewish Association, Agudas Israel, Central Representation of the Jews of France and the Alliance Universelle Israelite.
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