Proskauer, Blaustein Report to Jewish Community Leaders on San Francisco Conference

The inside story of Jewish activities at the United Nations Conference at San Francisco was told today by Judge Joseph M. Proskauer and Jacob Blaustein, president and chairman of the executive committee, respectively, of the American Jewish Committee, addressing a large audience of Jewish community leaders at Hunter College here.

The two leaders of the American Jewish Committee, who served as consultants to the U.S. delegation at San Francisco, praised Secretary of State Stettinius for the support he gave to the proposal for a Commission on Human Rights. They also lauded the consultants of all civic and labor groups for their active interest in securing adoption of this proposal which makes infractions of basic human rights a matter of international concern.

“However much we believe that Palestine, to the extent of its capacities, furnishes a haven for these who are persecuted, we none the less maintain the right of the Jew to abide in peace and in honor in his own land if he so wills,” Judge Proskauer said. “We shall subscribe to no the cry of enforced excdus or enforced international ghette. The doors of Palestine should reasonably be open to those who wish to go there. But the human rights proposals inserted in the Charter are a bulwark for our stricken brethren of Europe against internal persecution that will force them to live lives they do not wish to live.”

AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE AND AMERICAN JEWISH CONFERENCE WORKED TOGETHER

Mr. Blaustein said that there was no difference on major questions among the various Jewish groups which had official representatives at San Francisco. He revealed that the American Jewish Committee and the American Jewish Conference worked together on various problems affecting their co-religionists all over the world.

Declaring that the problem of trusteeship caused great discussion in San Francisco and many conflicting views were expressed, Mr. Blaustein said: “We had to watch out that the trusteeship system that came cut of San Francisco should not be constructed in such a way as to impair the rights of the Jewish community in Palestine or the rights of the Jews to immigrate to Palestine. We have secured the assurance of the American delegation that nothing will be done in San Francisco which will in the slightest degree endanger the existing rights of Jews with regard to Palestine.”

Establishment of the Commission on Human Rights, Mr. Blaustein pointed out, is a great achievement. “It gives us as well as other oppressed peoples of the world a forum to which we can appeal in case of viclations of our fundamental freedoms. For the first time in history, the question of human rights and the treatment of individuals was officially recognized as being of vital international concern.

Judge Proskauer, in discussing the Commission on Human Rights, told the meeting that the consultants to the U.S. delegation were told on May 2, by Dean Gildersleeve, a member of the delegation, that “it was very unlikely that the American delegation would present to the other sponsoring powers any proposals which would extend the area of the human rights provisions contained in the Dumbarton Oaks draft.”

“Dean Gildersleeve’s statement caused chagrin in the hearts of most of us,” Judge Proskauer reported. He then revealed how he immediately drafted a round-robin which was signed within a few hours by more than half of the consultants and submitted to Secretary Stettiniue who immediately presented the matter to the entire American delegation which resolved at once to propose the necessary amendments to the four powers who agreed to sponsor them.