Advocates of worldwide religious freedoms won their first round in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights here today in a battle against anti-religious Communist forces who fear the Soviet Union might be indicted for its persecutions against Jewish religious practices and Jewish culture.
The dispute took place this morning as the Commission, which convened here yesterday for a session scheduled to last a month, received a motion from the French delegation proposing that work be started now toward a forthcoming debate on a draft United Nations Declaration for the Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance.
Jean Mareel Bouquin, chief of the French delegation, moved that, while the Commission debates its first agenda item, dealing with racial discrimination, the 21-member body should establish a “working group” to prepare for later debate on the religious item.
Piation D. Morozov of the Soviet Union fought vigorously against a Bouquin motion, insisting that no such working group was necessary. He was supported in his opposition by the delegations representing two other East European members, Poland and the Ukraine.
After a lengthy squabble on the Issue. the French motion carried by a vote of 14-3 with four abstentions — the negative votes being cast by Russia, Poland and the Ukraine. The United States delegation headed by Mrs. Marietta Tree, was among those supporting the French move. The working group–without any specific number indicated–will be named by the chairman of the Commission, Enrique Ponce Carbo of Ecuador.
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