Senator CLARK. The next witness is Mrs. June A. Willenz, Executive Director, American Veterans Committee.

Mr. RICE. My name is Andrew E. Rice.

Senator CLARK. Andrew E. Rice, representating Mrs. Willenz. Where do you live?

STATEMENT OF ANDREW E. RICE, CHAIRMAN, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION, AMERICAN VETERANS COMMITTEE

Mr. RICE. I live here in Washington. I am Chairman of the American Veterans Committee, International Affairs Commission.

Senator CLARK. Good for you, sir. And you adopt the testimony which I have read and which would have been introduced by Mrs. Willenz had she been here?

Mr. RICE. Correct.

Senator CLARK. And we will have that printed in full in the record. I wonder in view of the limitation on time whether you would be content to make a couple of very brief comments?

Mr. RICE. It is all I shall do, Mr. Chairman.

Senator CLARK. Let us move ahead.

Mr. RICE. I shall simply state we are appearing here because as veterans, as servicemen, we fought for human rights, and we speak as veterans in saying we think the United States Government should ratify these conventions which put down in writing the principles which we all espouse and believe in.

We are ashamed that we haven't so far and we hope this committee will advise and consent to ratification and the Senate will do so as promptly as possible.

Senator CLARK. I think that statement is far more eloquent than one which could have gone on for 45 minutes.

Mr. RICE. Thank you, sir.

Senator CLARK. Thank you so very much, sir.

(The full statement previously referred to follows:)

STATEMENT OF THE AMERICAN VETERANS COMMITTEE IN SUPPORT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTIONS (SLAVERY, FORCED LABOR, POLITICAL RIGHTS OF WOMEN) AND GENOCIDE TREATY

The American Veterans Committee, an organization of veterans of World Wars I, II, the Korean Conflict, and the present Vietnam Conflict, strongly urges

the Senate during this legislative session to consent to the ratification of the 4 United Nations Human Rights Conventions now before it-these concerning slavery, forced labor, the political rights of women, and Genocide.

The American Veterans Committee is a member organization of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Human Rights and Genocide Treaties and this statement supports their position.

As veterans we heralded President Kennedy's statement in 1963 when he submitted three of these conventions to the Senate and we heartily endorse the current administration's espousal of this important cause.

As veterans, we are particularly concerned that our nation unequivocally and forthrightly make this commitment to the cause of human dignity. These are the rights that we have fought for.

These conventions, which the U.S. endorsed internationally by voting for them in the United Nations and the ILO, are completely consonant with our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Our country's delay in ratification of these human rights declarations to which we are dedicated, is extremely difficult to understand.

The battle for human rights is international; this country cannot claim to be the champion of human dignity and individual freedom if it shrinks away from the simple declaration of faith that the ratification of these treaties represent.

The AVC Platform states in the preamble of its International affairs Platform: "We the members of the American Veterans Committee, believe that in international affairs the objective of the United States is the maintenance of peace. All else aside, the world must avoid the holocaust of nuclear war. Within that framework, our foreign policy, like our domestic policy, must be oriented to enhance the welfare of the individual, be he black, white, brown, or yellow, so that he may eat and sleep in safety, live his life under government of his choice, and realize to the fullest extent possible the measure of his aspirations," and it specifically support the human rights treaties.

"We believe that there must be an acceleration of progress of the ratification of the international, human rights agreement by the United States and other member nations of the United Nations and a greater assertion of leadership by the United States in the United Nations in furtherance of the work of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights."

The pursuit of peace must rest on the foundation of the extension of human rights everywhere. For the United States to ratify these conventions is only a minimal step ahead in the great struggle for the recognition of the innate dignity of man. As the newer nations of the world look to us for guidance and inspiration, turn to our political institutions as models, and seek our leadership for the betterment of man-economically, socially, politically-we cannot ignore the contradiction that we have been living with for so many years-that we vocally endorse internationally the cause of human rights but so far have refused to give final approval to written declarations which embody human rights principles. We wish to take this occasion to urge the Committee in approving the conventions, not to separate out the Genocide Convention from the others.

The mass murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis is a vivid nightmare of this era, one still horribly fresh in our minds. And there have been other mass exterminations of peoples because of racial, religious or ethnic background. We cannot conceive of our Nation refusing to express the horror of such violence by not ratifying this convention. It is an insult not only to the memory of those who suffered this atrocity, but to those who fought on the battlefield to end such slaughter, and those who gave their lives in that cause.

We urge you to recommend ratification of the four conventions together and to refurbish the bright image of this Nation as the champion of the cause of human rights throughout the world.

Senator CLARK. Our next witness is Miss Judith Nies, representing the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

Miss Nies, I note that you are the executive director, are you not? Miss NIES. No, legislative secretary.

Senator CLARK. I have read your statement, which is fine. Would you be content to have it printed in full in the record and just make a very few comments expressing what you think is desirable?

STATEMENT OF JUDITH NIES, THE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM

Miss NIES. OK, fine.

I mentioned in the statement that I felt as we were an international organization and have the benefit of drawing on the knowledge and attitude of our members in foreign countries we would like to concentrate on the issue of the loss of United States prestige and leadership through its lengthy failure to ratify this human rights convention. If I might read the paragraph which deals with this

David J. Danelski, a member of the Illinois and Washington bars, and an associate professor of political science at Yale University, wrote in the Law in Transition Quarterly, spring 1966, that "a conception of rights that does not embody the notion of action may actually be instrumental in limiting rights. Since we live in a world in which action counts for more than anything else, our conception of human rights must be a conception of human rights in action; otherwise*** human rights mean nothing."

Senator CLARK. I think that is a very eloquent statement in which I find myself in complete accord.

FAILURE TO ACT SYNONYMOUS WITH DENIAL OF RIGHTS

Miss NIES. And people in many countries feel that implicit in espousal of human rights is the necessity of action to bring them to reality and that failure to act can be synonymous with denial of rights.

Senator CLARK. That is right.

Miss NIES. This is the position which

Senator CLARK. Don't go reading it all over again because it is already in the record.

Miss NIES. OK.

Well, that would be enough.

Senator CLARK. Thank you so very much.

I hope you don't think I am being rude.

Miss NIES. No, I understand.

Senator CLARK. Thank you so much.

(The full statement of Miss Nies follows:)

STATEMENT OF JUDITH NIES IN BEHALF OF THE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL

LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM

I am Judith Nies, Legislative Secretary for the United States Section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, 120 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C. Founded in 1915 by Jane Addams and a number of European women meeting at the Hague, Holland, the League has consistently believed in and worked for the development of a viable body of international law as the principal method of maintaining peaceful relations between nations. It is the opinion of the League that the Conventions before us today-the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, the Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, the Convention on the Abolition of Forced Labor, and the Convention on the Political Rights of Women-are minimal but vital steps in the development of such international law, and that our failure to ratify them has impaired our nation's position as a world leader in the struggle to protect and advance human rights and individual freedoms. As we are an international organization and have the benefit of drawing on the knowledge and attitudes of our members in foreign countries, we would

like to concentrate on the issue of the loss of US prestige and leadership through its lengthy failure to ratify these Human Rights Conventions.

What Are Human Rights?

Human Rights is a modern term for what has been traditionally known as natural rights or the rights of man. The basis of human rights, as distinguished from other kinds of rights, is that man is entitled to certain treatment simply because he is human and not because of some role he occupies in society or because of some positive law. While it is an old concept, it is a new field of Law. David J. Danelski, a member of the Illinois and Washington bars, and an Associate Professor of Political Science at Yale University, wrote in the Law in Transition Quarterly, Spring 1966, that "a conception of rights that does not embody the notion of action may actually be instrumental in limiting rights. Since we live in a world in which action counts for more than anything else, our conception of human rights must be a conception of human rights in action; otherwise. human rights mean nothing." (p. 69) People in many countries feel that implicit in espousal of human rights is the necessity of action to bring them to reality, and that failure to act can be synonomous with denial of human rights. Present Position of the United States

This is the position in which the United States finds herself. The continuing failure to act by formally ratifying these human rights conventions can only be interpreted as a refusal and lack of moral commitment to promote the basic rights of individuals throughout the world. In addition, she will soon have forfeited any right to future discussion or influence in the field of International Human Rights.

It might be pertinent to point out that the Human Rights Conventions grew out of an early United Nations program developed under American leadership to draft an International Bill of Rights. American jurists, scholars, religious and civic organizations played a major role in the program which was launched by the Human Rights Commission at its first session in 1946, under the chairmanship of Eleanor Roosevelt.

Since that time, a total of twelve Conventions dealing with basic human rights have been adopted by the United Nations and ratified by member nations. The United States stands with Spain, South Africa, and six of the new African nations in its total absence of ratification of any of these conventions. In Conclusion

We support Ambassador Arthur J. Goldberg's statement before this Committee on February 23rd, and his treatment of other aspects of ratification of the Human Rights Conventions. We hope that hearings on these three conventions will lead to consideration of the Treaty on Genocide, now ratified by seventyseven nations and before the Senate since 1950.

We feel that these Conventions deserve approval. They do not take away any sovereignty; they do advance the principles of the United States and the United Nations. Most of all they represent a moral commitment to international human standards on matters that have immediacy for many peoples around the world. Therefore, we urge your committee to recommend to the Senate that it advise and consent to all three of the Conventions before you.

Senator CLARK. Our next witness is Mrs. George Martin, representing the American Baptist Convention of Summit, N.J.

Mrs. Martin, I have your statement here. It will be printed in full in the record.

Would you do your best to help us out by making your statement as brief as you conscientiously can? But I certainly don't want to cut you off.

It won't be necessary to read it because it will be printed in full.

STATEMENT OF MRS. GEORGE MARTIN, AMERICAN BAPTIST CONVENTION, SUMMIT, N.J.

Mrs. MARTIN. Thank you, Senator Clark. I think it will take me about two minutes to say that having represented my Baptist people

across the country for 17 years at the United Nations, I am particularly concerned about the ratification of these three, in addition to genocide, since my churches through their delegates at eight annual conventions have made specific statements and requests for the Senate from 1956 to 1966 as to adoption and ratification of these and other human rights conventions.

You would expect that I would say that because I represent a religious organization our concern is that man is created in the image of God, therefore has inherent dignity and worth, and that the dignity and worth must be supported by laws both national and international if they are going to mean anything.

I also believe, because as we are citizens of the United States, these conventions deal with fundamental rights already guaranteed by our Constitution, with no problems regarding the Federal-State relationship. We also believe that they give meaning to the principles of the United Nations Charter which the United States acceded to, and we know that many of them have been ratified by numbers of nations. I have been following the Commission on the Status of Women for these many years, and I am interested to know that the Supplementary Convention on Slavery which is before this committee deals in many of the matters which this Commission has been working on for years.

U.S. RATIFICATION IS LONG OVERDUE

I also know that the White House conference on international affairs, which was attended by delegates from more than 500 U.S. organizations, did represent and did ask for ratification of these. The American Baptist Convention was one of those 500 conventions, so it would seem to me, Mr. Chairman, that our ratification at this time is long overdue, that it would now give recognition, as we prepare to enter 1968, which is to be called Human Rights Year, that it would give recognition to the fact of our interrelatedness to our responsibility as the most powerful nation in the world, it would put us on record in a way that we need to be for the rule of law. It would emphasize deeds of ratification rather than merely words of concern for all of humanity.

Senator CLARK. Thank you very much, Mrs. Martin.

Mrs. MARTIN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Senator CLARK. It is a splendid statement and you have been very helpful to the committee and we appreciate your being here.

Mrs. MARTIN. Thank you.

(The full statement of Mrs. Martin follows:)

STATEMENT BY AMERICAN BAPTIST CONVENTION, MRS. GEORGE MARTIN My name is Mrs. George Martin, I live at 152 Maple Street, Summit, New Jersey. I am the official United Nations Representative for the American Baptist Convention. I speak representing the American Baptist Convention. I speak in favor of ratification by the United States of the Conventions on Forced Labor, Slavery and the Political Rights of Women. My authority for speaking is based on a resolution adopted by the American Baptist Convention on May 22, 1965. This resolution reads in part:

"Remembering that discrimination is one of the great evils of our time which is present in every country and all types of society and is contrary to the Christian concept of the oneness of the human family,

American Baptists, mindful of their Christian calling to make of one body and one mind all of God's children;

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