Tough Legislation Proposed to Discourage Assaults on Foreign Diplomats, Property

Projected legislation designed to discourage assaults on foreign diplomats and property in the United States was seen today as strengthening President Nixon’s hand on behalf of Soviet Jews should he raise the issue with Soviet leaders in Moscow in May. American Jews for months have been imploring him to take up the plight of the Soviet Jews, and Congress is stoutly backing resolutions for funding Jewish migration to Israel. The White House has said it will not disclose the President’s agenda before his departure May 22. An authoritative source, however, said he could not see how the issue could fail to come up when Nixon is in the Kremlin.

Emphasizing incidents involving harassment of Soviet personnel and damage to Soviet property especially in New York, State and Justice Department representatives pressed hard in Congress last Thursday for legislation designed to bring the federal government into the prosecution of offenders. At present, states’ authorities handle these matters. The proposed legislation permits the President to show he is firmly determined to act strongly against offenders.

George Bush, ambassador to the United Nations, described to a House Judiciary subcommittee gathering testimony on the proposed law the violations committed against personnel affiliated with UN Missions. He named as targets the Soviet, British, Ghanaian, Syrian, South African, Iraqi and Moroccan Missions, with emphasis on the Soviet. The Soviet government has complained bitterly about harassment of its diplomats and damage to its property. The group most frequently cited by Soviet officials here and in the USSR is the Jewish Defense League.

Mary C. Lawton, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, testified that the bill’s purpose was to “expand protection” of both American and foreign officials. She said it would give the US government “concurrent jurisdiction” with the states over crimes including murder, kidnapping, harassment of personnel and damage to property where foreign governments are involved.

Rep. Richard H.Poff (R.,Va.), who sponsored the House legislation, which was recommended by the State and Justice Departments last Aug. 6, testified that he was “not firmly convinced” that a clause in it concerning the congregating of two or more persons within 100 feet of a diplomat’s home or a foreign installation was constitutional.

Poff, a member of the full House Judiciary Committee, said he would offer a substitute version. The proposed law would not supersede the District of Columbia statute which prohibits congregating within 500 feet of a foreign embassy. The Washington police have frequently invoked this statute in blocking demonstrations on behalf of Soviet Jews outside the Soviet Embassy. The Senate also has legislation before it, introduced last Aug. 5, but thus far has not acted upon it.