Montana labor news., 1945-05-24
PROPOSED BILL OF
RIGHTS SPRANG
FROM LABOR PLAN

SAN FRANCISCO .-FP) THE uneX-
pected proposal of U. S. delegates to the
United Nations conference than an in
ternational bill OF rights be created by
the new World Security Organization is
in close accord with the program placed
before the conference leaders by both
the AFL and the CIO.
Coming after a series Of rebuffs to
the labor representatives and of obiec-
tons to some labor-sponsored additions
to the Dumbarton Oaks plan, the new
proposal is seen as substantial con-
cession to the Official labor viewpoint.
While no bill of rights will be included
in the charter of the new security organ
ization, as labor had requested, 6ecre-
tary of State Edward R. Stettinius said
the U. S. delegation considered the Gre
alton of such a statement OF principles
to be one of the first duties of the pro-
posed human rights commission of the
world organization.
The U. S. delegates, he said, hope that
such a bill of rights will be accepted
by all member nations as an integral
part of our system of law"
The American proposal for word bill
of rights is an expansion of four amend
ments on human rights sponsored by the
U. S., Great Britain, Soviet Russia and
Cnina. The first amendment establishes
the promotion of human rights and
freedoms as one of the fundamental pur-
poses OF the organization. The other
two amendments provide for letting the
assembly exercise its responsibility on
human rights through the Economic q
Social Council which will, in turn, estab-
lish a commission for the promotion of
human rights.
This commission represents the heart
of the matter" Stettinius said, Point
ing out that the four sponsoring gov
ernments agreed it was impossible for
the conference, in the short time it has,
to obtain agreement on bill of rights
suitable to 49 nations of diverse social
systems, environments and traditions, he
said the U. S. hoped the human rights
commission would undertake that job.
Stettinius said the -Four Freedoms
stated by the late President Roosevelt
ARE, from the point of view of the U.
s., fundamental freedoms which encom-
pass all other rights ana freedoms" Free
dom from want, he said, encompasses
the right to work, the right to social
security and the right to opportunity for
advancement" This is noteworthy since
early in the conference Russian pro-
posals that the right to work be included
in the charter met strong opposition
from the U. S. deleation and particularly
from Sen. Arthur H. Vandenburg (R)
OF Michigan.
Freedom from fear, Stettinius said,
takes in protection from persecution or
discrimination of all men and women,
reardless of race, language, religion or
sex, and protection of their equal right to
enjoy all other fundamental rights and
freedoms"
Stettinius also said he believed "the
charter and structure and procedures of
the world organization should and will
provide means for full consideration of
the views and interests Of all branches
Of organized laoor and of agriculture and
business. Without such full considera-
ton, effective performance by the organ
ization in economic and social matters
would obviously be impos sible."
Coming after the refusal to seat OBJ
servers of the World Trade Union con-
ference here, for which action the Amer
ican delegation was at least partly re-
sponsible, this is the first assurance
given to organized labor that its strength
and influence deserve recognition.
1t is my confiction," Stettinius con-
cluded, "that the foundation which we
are laying here for the economic and
social collaboration of nations in the
cause of fundamental human rights and
freedoms may well prove to be most inn
portant of all the things we do here for
the peace and advancement of the peo-
piles of the world"
The declaration on human rights and
Stettinius' championship of self-govern-
ment for subject countries goes far to
restore U. S. prestige as a world leader
Of democracy, a position which it had
whitfield down through its own mistakes
in the handling of the Argentine and
Polish issues.