Evening star., 1950-01-23
PerIman Defends Pact
Against Genocide as
Senate Opens Hearing
By the Assoeioied Pres.


The Truman Administration to-
day sought to dispel objections
that a United Nations agreement
to outlaw the mass destruction Of
peoples might violate the United
States Constitution.
Solicitor General Perlman told
Senate Foreign Relations sub
committee that the Justice De-
partment holds "the United States
has complete authority to enter
into the genocide convention.
The Senate group is holding
hearings on the U. N. compact.
which President Truman sub
mitted last June with a request
for early ratification.
Mr.. Truman said then that
United States approval would
show that this country sis pre-
pared to take effective action on
it's part to contribute to the estab-
lishment of principles of law and
justice throughout the world.
Nazi Prosecutions Cited.
In his prepared statement, Mr..
Perlman noted that the U. N. de-
fined geriocide as "a denial of
the right of existence of entire
human groups, as homicide is the
denial of the right to live of
individual human beings" He
gave as an example the Nazi per-
secution of Jews before and dur
ing World War II.
The Solicitor General said the
precedent for ratifying the agree
ment is well established by United
States participation in treaties to
punish piracy on the high seas,
and in others dealing with COM
mercial aviation. trademarks,
copyrights. narcotics and white
slavery.
He described as unfounded the
criticism that adoption of the con-
vention would infringe on rights
of the States in dealing with GRIM
inal offenseS.
Barrier to Free Speech Denied.
"The genocide convention in no
wise disturbs the jurisdiction of
the States to deal with murder,
assault and the host of common
law or statutory penal offenses,
he said.
Mr.. Perlman also denied that a
provision to punish incitement to
genocide might conflict with the
constitutional guarantee of free
speech.
I'm the light of well understood
concepts" he said. there is no
constitutional barrier to a provi-
sion by Congress for the punish
ment of direct and public incite-
ment to commit the crime of gen.
ocide.
Rusk Supports Perlman.
'The conjuring up of objections
on constitutional grounds is no
more than the parading of
theories long since rejected in the
development of our constitutional
processes.
Undersecretary of State Dean
Rusk backed up Mr.. Perlmans
stand on the constitutional ques-
tions and told the subcommittee
this country should take the lead
in raising moral standards of
international society"
1--WE all know too we'll that mil
lions of human beings are still
subjected to the domination of
ruthless totalitarian regimes, and
that the spectre of genocide still
haunts mankind" Mr.. Rusk said.
1T should be made clear to such
governments that the United
States and other civilized coun-
tries do not condone such con-
duct now any more than in the
past"
Minister Lends Support.
Urging ratification, Mr.. Rusk
said other nations will be tre-
mendously influenced by the ac-
ton of the United States Senate"
DR.. Samuel McCrea Cavert, sec
retary of the Federal Council of
the Churches of Christ in Amer
lea, also supported the genocide
convention in statement pre-
pared for the Senate group.
DR.. Cavert, speaking for the n
Protestant and Eastern Orthodox
groups associated with the coun-
Gil, said "the churches are no
longer content with issuing moral
protests against such odious
crimes and proclaiming general
principles Of decent respect and
Justice for q people"