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PERSECUTION OF MINORITIES IN THE SOVIET UNION1

[Editor's note: As a result of reports of anti-Semitic purges behind the Iron Curtain, a number of resolutions were introduced in the House and Senate condemning these acts. The committee had before it two resolutions, Senate Resolutions 70 and 71, expressing the concern of the Senate about these persecutions. A subcommittee appointed to consider them decided to broaden the terms of the condemnation to include persecution by the Soviet Union of all minority groups, religious and racial, and recommended to the full Committee an original resolution to that end. The committee adopted the draft resolution on February 25 and it was reported as S. Res. 84 on that date. The Senate approved the resolution on February 27.]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1953

UNITED STATES SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS,

Washington, D.C.

The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:30 a.m., in the Foreign Relations Committee Room, U.S. Capitol Building, Senator Alexander Wiley (chairman) presiding.

Present: Šenators Wiley (chairman), Smith of New Jersey, Hickenlooper, Taft, Langer, Ferguson, Knowland, George, Fulbright, Sparkman, Gillette, Humphrey, and Mansfield.

Also present: Dr. Wilcox, Dr. Kalijarvi, Mr. Marcy, Mr. Holt, Mr. O'Day, and Mr. Cahn, of the committee staff.

[The committee first ordered reported the nominations of Mrs. Clare Boothe Luce to be Ambassador to Italy, Mr. C. Douglas Dillon to be Ambassador to France, James C. Dunn to be Ambassador to Spain, Karl L. Rankin to be Ambassador to Nationalist China and John M. Cabot to be Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs. Resolutions relating to Soviet anti-Semitism were then taken up.]

PROCEDURE ON THE RESOLUTIONS

The CHAIRMAN. A subcommittee was appointed with respect to the anti-Semitism resolutions. This morning we had a letter written, a communication from the State Department, and also a suggested resolution which, in substance, takes in a number of the persecuted nationalities, and so forth.

We have these two matters up. Do you want this anti-Semitism resolution to be discussed here at this committee or, Senator Taft, you are chairman of that committee, which includes Senators Knowland, Fulbright, and Gillette as the other members-I think this morning you suggested you did want to have some open discussion. Senator TAFT. Well, I read to those who were here the letter from [Thruston] Morton with a draft resolution, which includes everybody. How far that will defend the Jews, I do not know.

1 See appendix B.

* Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations.

It does seem to me that the proposed resolution seems to be all right except instead of "Jewish people," I would say "people of the Jewish faith" as he does in his letter.

Senator FERGUSON. How does it read, has it been read before?

COMMUNICATION FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT

Senator TAFT. Yes. This is the suggestion from Thruston Morton, who first stated the Department's opinion, that:

The recent arrests and acts of the Soviet Union and its satellite states against those of the Jewish faith [are] additional manifestations of the inhuman policy which has been pursued toward most minority groups living within the stern confines of these totalitarian regimes. During the past years the Free World has witnessed the atheistic harshness of the Soviet-dominated states directed at different times to the persecution of the Greek Orthodox congregations, the imprisonment of Roman Catholic prelates, the oppression of Moslem communities, and the harassing of Protestant churches. The present wave of persecutions is the most recent of a long list.

The Department of State intends to see that this latest of the cruel persecutions of religious and racial minorities behind the Iron Curtain is fully discussed in the forthcoming General Assembly of the United Nations. We are now considering how the matter should be dealt with at the General Assembly.

In the light of the considerations set forth above, the Department believes that it would be unwise for the Senate to approve S. Res. 70 or S. Res. 71 in their present form. The passage of either resolution, singling out those of the Jewish faith, might well accelerate the very forces which the Free World would like to see halted and set back our efforts to bring about more peaceful conditions in the Near East. The Department would prefer to see passed a resolution in which the Senate indicated its condemnation not only of the recent violence against those of the Jewish faith, but also of the vicious and inhuman campaigns conducted against the other minority groups referred to in paragraph 3 above.

Then the draft resolution is as follows:

Resolved, that it is the sense of the Senate of the United States that the vicious and inhuman campaigns conducted by the Soviet Union and its satellite states against minority groups, such as the persecution of Greek Orthodox congregations, the imprisonment of Roman Catholic prelates, the harassment of protestant churches, the oppression of Moslem communities, the scattering of the Baltic peoples and, most recently, the persecution of Jewish people deserves the strongest condemnation.

Senator HUMPHREY. I think that is good.

Senator SMITH. You change that to "of the Jewish faith"?

Senator TAFT. I think rather than "Jewish people," it should be "people of the Jewish faith," because the letter says "people of the Jewish faith."

SHOULD OTHER GROUPS BE INCLUDED?

Senator FULBRIGHT. Do you think you ought to mention the Poles? I mean, there are several others, as long as you have undertaken to

mention them.

Senator SMITH. That is the question.

Senator FULBRIGHT. How about the Ukrainians, as long as you go out to mention the whole lot? You might mention them.

Senator TAFT. You might leave out the "scattering of the Baltic peoples," because if you put that all in, the others are all religious.

Senator GILLETTE. Did that say Balkan?
Senator TAFT. Baltic.

Senator GILLETTE. That is very serious.

Senator FULBRIGHT. I would say that from a propaganda point of view it is not good.

Senator TAFT. If you leave all of them out you confine it solely to religion, and you might just make it an antireligious attack. But if you are going to make it against minority groups of all kinds, then I think we should include the Poles and Ukrainians and maybe others.

Senator FULBRIGHT. That is a matter we ought to give serious thought to.

Senator FERGUSON. It seems to me it is difficult to have it as a religious group.

Senator TAFT. It seems to me the resolution should request the Department of State to bring it to the attention of the General Assembly, which it says anyway. Why can't we have another paragraph?

Senator HUMPHREY. You could have two resolves on there, one on the basis of peoples and the other one on the bases of religious faiths. I mean you could take one block and put in there peoples like the Poles and the Czechs and, particularly, the Ukrainians and Baltic peoples, and then move into the religious aspect as the final conclusion, because that is the most contemporaneous.

Senator TAFT. I think if the committee approves the general idea, we can get Thrust on Morton up here and make such changes that are necessary, and report it back.

Senator KNOWLAND. I think, Mr. Chairman, there is considerable merit in maybe covering both phases of it.

Senator TAFT. Yes.

Senator KNOWLAND. Including the distribution of the Baltic peoples, the Poles, and Czechs and others, and the Ukrainians. Senator FULBRIGHT. It is a powerful document if we put them all in there.

Senator KNOWLAND. And then wind up with this suggestion that this matter be taken up with the United Nations. I think it would give us a pretty good resolution, and getting a vote in the Senate would be helpful.

GIVE THE JEWISH CASE SOME PRIORITY

Senator TAFT. Maybe there is some way in which you could say, "Whereas this matter has been brought to the attention of the world by the Jewish thing"-this rather puts the Jews way down at the end somewhere. I think they feel they are just a tail to the dog. I think that you might, without specializing, say something at the beginning about, "Whereas this has been brought to our attention"

Senator HUMPHREY. Possibly something like, "Again the pattern of history repeats itself," and add at the end that it is brought to our attention by the most recent attacks

Senator TAFT. Most recent persecution of the Jews at the tail end.

WE ARE TREADING DELICATE GROUND

Senator GILLETTE. Mr. Chairman, I am very much in favor of the approach that they are suggesting here, a more comprehensive approach to this question. But we are treading on very delicate ground, and if it is to have any propaganda or psychological value it has to be carefully drafted to have the maximum value, and inasmuch as this discussion shows that there is a difference of opinion, and the other two related resolutions have been referred to Senator Taft's subcommittee, I suggest-I do not move but I suggest that this suggested resolution that has been sent up be also forwarded to the subcommittee, and let them work out a proposal that meets the problem, in their opinion, for presentation.

The CHAIRMAN. I rather think that course is a very valid suggestion.

SUBCOMMITTEE ACTION

The thought, as I understood it from Senator Taft, was that he did want to get the suggestions of those here so that suggestions would be of some aid to the subcommittee. The subcommittee will have all of these matters. I do not think there has been a report today on it.

What I think you have got to do is really whip it into some shape and have it ready for discussion here at your earliest convenience. Senator TAFT. That is right. We could meet this afternoon, could we, if I got hold of Morton, at some time?

Senator GILLETTE. There is another meeting called for this afternoon, a subcommittee of this committee.

Senator FULBRIGHT. That is tomorrow.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, you can hold a subcommittee meeting here if it is your desire.

Senator TAFT. Yes. I will get hold of Morton and see if he can come up this afternoon.

Senator FERGUSON. I think we ought to get it as soon as possible. The CHAIRMAN. All the members of the subcommittee are here. Are you agreeable that you will meet at 2 o'clock this afteroon?

Senator KNOWLAND. Two o'clock would not be convenient for me. I could meet from 3 or 3:30 on all right.

Senator GILLETTE. Make it 3 o'clock.

Senator KNOWLAND. Three o'clock.

Senator FULBRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I cannot be here; I have to leave, but I am very much in accord with the general approach here. Here is one letter I will give to the chairman which, I think, is definitely on the right track. I would not have any hesitancy in going along with that program; but I, unfortunately, have to leave town. Senator TAFT. I will communicate with you.

Senator FULBRIGHT. I do not think you ought to hold it up on that

account.

The CHAIRMAN. You will arrange with Morton for that subcommittee meeting this afternoon, is that it, or do you want Mr. Wilcox to get Morton for you?

Senator TAFT. I will call Morton up.

The CHAIRMAN. There is one suggestion here. You have got "most recently, the persecution of Jewish people." That has been the situation for a long time. That is a question there as to whether "most recently" is sufficient. I just make that suggestion.

This matter will then go to the subcommittee, and once you get the matter in shape

OTHER SUGGESTIONS

Senator HICKENLOOPER. I might suggest that you have got 400 million Moslems, too, and we do not want to brush them off. Senator FULBRIGHT. That is right.

Senator TAFT. He mentions that.

Senator GILLETTE. That shows the seriousness of the problem.
The CHAIRMAN. If you get it in shape, I can call a meeting for

tomorrow.

Senator TAFT. All right, we will try to do it for tomorrow.

Senator HUMPHREY. It seems to me that if you can give each one a line and not bunch them all together that is better. Oftentimes the sheer physical outline of the paragraph in the resolution is too much. It would be better if it covered all that needs to be covered, and not more than that.

The CHAIRMAN. I suggest that if there are any other suggestions to the committee to be made and anybody who would like to sit in with this subcommittee, why, I am sure that Senator Taft will wel

come you.

ARE WE DRIVING THE ARABS INTO RUSSIA'S ARMS?

Senator GEORGE. Blaming everything on the Russians—is that all this committee has got to do is to make resolutions against Russia all the time day after day, hour after hour? I just raise the question of whether or not you are driving the whole Arab world into the arms of Russia, if you do not mind my making the suggestion.

Senator TAFT. Well, that is what the State Department thinks they are avoiding.

Senator FULBRIGHT. That is what we are trying to avoid doing that with this, and that is what the State Department thinks.

Senator GEORGE. Well, until we are ready to do something, it strikes me we talk a lot; I just throw that out. There may be no wisdom in it, but it seems to me there is some wisdom somewhere in the idea.

Senator FULBRIGHT. You are raising the question of whether there should be any at all, and not any difference between these two.

Senator GEORGE. Well, I am raising the question as to whether it is advisable to be "resoluting" all the time about Russia. Of course, we know what Russia is. If we have not made plain already our attitude about Russia, it is pretty difficult to do it now.

[The committee next discussed a letter from the President to the Speaker and the Vice President enclosing a proposed draft of a resolution relating to captive peoples. Consideration was given to the possibility of hearing Secretary of State Dulles on the matter on February 25. The committee then adjourned at 12:30 p.m.]

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