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Sen. Lehman Attacks U.S. Statement on Genocide Issue

November 6, 1953
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The American Government was charged today by Sen. Herbert H. Lehman with attempting “to dictate” to the U.N. Secretary General how to act on the Genocide Convention which outlaws mass murder on racial or political grounds.

The charge was based on the statement circulated this week by the American delegation at the United Nations after the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on all nations for speedy ratification of the genocide pact. The American statement said that the U.S. does not interpret the resolution as authorizing propaganda in the United States on the genocide issue.

“This seems to be another instance in which the Administration not only failed to give leadership within the United Nations but discredits its own leadership by an attempt to dictate to the Secretary General what he may or may not do to carry out the directive of the General Assembly,” Mr. Lehman said. “We cannot expect to be the leader of the free nations within the United Nations if we insist on treating the United Nations as though it were an organ of the United States Government,” he pointed out.

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