Evening star., 1946-05-08
Americans Propose
u. n. Subcommission
On Press Freedom
By the Associated Press

NEW YORK, May 8.-The Amer
ican delegation to the United Ma
tions proposed today that a U. N.
subcommission on freedom of in
formation be established to draw
up recommendations on world wide
press freedom.
The Commission on Human
Rights, to which the proposal was
addressed, postponed action on it.
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, chairman,
told the commission when it met
this morning that she had received
the communication.
II don't think we have to take
that up because we have not yet
reached the discussion on that
point" she said.
After the meeting Mrs. Roosevelt
said the commission probably would
take up the proposal Friday.
When the commission held its
organization meeting it decided to
deal with topics on the provisional
agenda before the meeting of the
Economic and Social Council, its
parent body, here on May Is. Free
dom of information is one of the
items on that agenda and it is ex-
pected that the proposal made today
by the United States will come up
before May Is.
10 to Is Members.
The United States delegation pro-
posed to the commission that it rec
ommend to the Economic and Social
Council that a subcommission of
from 10 to Is members, who need
not be members of the Commission
on Human Rights, be set up.
The delegation stated that it is
the view of the United States Gov
ernment that:
"a. Material progress toward the
ultimate attainment of universal
freedom of information is of the
utmost importance if the United
Nations is to achieve the purposes
for which it has been established;
"b. The Commission on Human
Rights will require special advice
and assistance in carrying out it's
responsibility toward the fulfillment
of this important and complex task"
Tasks for SubcOmmission.
The United States suggested the
following tasks for the proposed sub
commission:
81. The subcommission should sub
init proposals, recommendations and
reports to the Commission on
Human Rights regarding freedom of
information. In the discharge of
this function the subcommission
should.
"A. Determine what rights, obli-
cations and practices should, in the
subcommission's opinion, be includ-
ed in the concept, freedom or in
formation;
B. Consider and report on the
extent to which freedom of informa-
ton as thus defined is accorded to
the peoples of the United Nations;
and the nature and extent of OBJ
stacles thereto;
&C. Examine proposals for pro-
noting or facilitating freedom of
information and eliminating OBJ
stacles thereto;
Make Recommendations.
ID. Make recommendations to the
extent deemed appropriate for action
by the United Nations, by member
states and by the United Nations
economic, social and cultural Or
ganization and other specialized
agencies;
"E. Assume continuing RESPONSE
bility for discussing and preparing,
with the assistance of the secre-
tariat, a draft provision on freedom
Of information to be incorporated
in bill of rights"
The material before the Commits
sion on Human Rights, which will
be studied in its discussions on the
topic of freedom of information
include declarations on freedom of
the press by Kent Cooper, executive
director of the Associated Press;
Hugh Baillie, president of the
United Press, and Wilbur Forrest,
chairman of the standing Com
mittee on World Freedom of In
formation of the American Society
of Newspaper Editors