340.1 AG/4–853: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Consulate General at Geneva1
651. For Mrs. Lord from McCardle. Reur 605.2 Dept appreciates difficulty your position. You should continue press along lines indicated in Secretary’s letter and further develop US alternative of UN action program. You should reiterate as necessary view that US considers greater progress in Human Rights field possible through action programs rather than through Covenants although US will continue participate in efforts to draft Covenant.
In response to questions you should indicate that US position on Covenants on Human Rights was not evolved as answer to proponents Bricker Amendment but represents basic approach this Administration to UN human rights issue.
Since this basic new approach was directly relevant to Bricker hearings, forthright statement on this issue was included in Secretary’s statement to Senate Committee at this time.
Re report other delegations attribute change in policy to change in administration, you should not dissipate this impression, since new administration has in fact adopted new approach designed to further progress in human rights more effectively than heretofore.
Dept plans further background briefing of individual representatives of press along above lines. [McCardle.]
- Drafted and signed by Erasmus H. Kloman of the Bureau of Public Affairs; cleared with the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs (McCardle), the Deputy Legal Adviser (Tate), the Chief of the Functional Policy Planning Staff (Oram), and the Officer in Charge, UN Cultural and Human Rights Affairs (Simsarian).↩
- Supra.↩