U.S. and European Jewish Organizations Submit Joint Demands to Peace Conference

A solemn appeal to redress past wrongs suffered by Jews under the Nazi regime and to guarantee to 700,000 Jewish survivors in enemy countries the right to live in “dignity, security and peace” was submitted to the Peace Conference today by nine leading Jewish organizations. They joined in a memorandum proposing a series of amendments to the draft treaties with five former Nazi satellite nations.

The major proposals include provisions that human rights and fundamental freedoms be guaranteed and enforced with international protection through appropriate agencies of the United Nations. The memorandum urges that former enemy states undertake to prevent the resurgence of fascism by the enactment of legislation to outlaw advocacy of or incitement to religious or racial hatred. It suggests amending the existing treaty clauses for securing human rights to include “equality before the law,” “freedom of association,” “freedom of religious practice,” and “equal right to gainful occupations and the right to preserve cultural entity.”

The document further urges that the repeal of all legislation discriminating against any section of a population be made retroactive. It recommends the adoption of an obligation to assure to the victims of racial and religious persecution the same rights to restitution of property which are accorded to the nationals of the United Nations, and to exempt the property of these victims from reparations and other charges imposed on the nationals of former enemy countries.

The memorandum asks that measures be taken to assure that the property and claims of all Jews who died heirless and of Jewish communal bodies which were liquidated by Nazi persecution be turned over to representative Jewish bodies for the purpose of aiding in the rehabilitation, emigration and resettlement of the Jewish survivors.

The memorandum contains also addenda for the Rumanian and Hungarian treaties. These are designed to safeguard normal functioning of the traditional communal Jewish organizations and institutions, including the right to be consulted by the Government in all measures affecting the Jewish population.

They would provide for indemnity for sufferings and losses under the Nazis and the right to emigrate freely taking movable property and the equitable proceeds of the sale of non-movable belongings. A special section asks that Rumania be required to guarantee the right of citizenship to Jews in that country.