TREATY ON FREE PRESS

Chronicle (Levin), 23 April 1948, Page 5

TREATY ON FREE PRESS

a v.z.p.a.

—■Reuter,

Preservation Of Treasared Right

Copyrlght)

Received Thursday, 8,50 p.m, GBXEV A, April 22. Presepting to United. Nations ' Freedom of Iiiformation Conference for final adoption, the inferliational treaty drafted by Britain, Mr. Ernest Davies said: "To every Engiishman the right to express what he thought, whether popular or mipopular, whether acceptcd or rejjected, is the one he treasures most, This right ean be preserved only if the press is free and only as long as those who seek to disseminate truth, are not hampered in the quest. The Boviet aj'gued that the^ people niust control the press. By the people they meant.the Governnient, The great fallacy is the assumption that the voice of the people is unanimous. To enable a variety of voices to ntter and be heard, a free press is essential." The conference ndopted the treaty loy •!1 votes to six. The conference also adopted by 2a votes to six, -the American treaty binding all accepting States to .areord specified freedom and facilities to f o r ei gn c o r r espo n d e n t s. The conference aeeepted the Frencn treaty estatdishing international rights of replv for Governments to allege false re;-.orts endangering peace, by 33 vbtes to seven. The six Eastern European bJoc delegations voted * against all three trealies. The President of the Conference, General Carlos Romulo (Philippines) m a farewell address, said the conference had heen a triumph of reason. What had heen done had proved that United Nations continuedu to he a usefnl insrtument of international discussion and negotiation and justified optimism for the future. The Conference adopted an articte for incorporation in the Fnited Nations declaration of human rights which saiu: " fivervone shall have the right of freedom of thought and expression. This right shall inelude freedom to liold opinions without interference and to seek, reecive and impart information and ideas by any means and regardlesK of frontiers. " The conference rejected a Soviet proposal: "In the interests of" Denioeracv everyone shall be guaranteed by 'aw freedom to express opinions, in pArticular, freedom of speech, of Press and artistic repres^ntation. Freedom >>f speech and Press shall not be exploited to advoeate Fascism aggression or spread false news with the . objeet of provoking eninitv between nations." The conference also adopted against American and Soviet opposition a declaration that information and freedoM must be guaranteed to everyone, but ■ pecified eight points on which restrictions may be imposed by law. These, originating in the British list, in- ( lude military secrets, expressions in citing persons to revolt or criminal acts, expressions which are obseene or mjurious to persons without benefitmg the public, and the svstematic .diffusion of deliberately false or distorted reports which undermine frienuly relations between peoples or States. Mr. William Denton (United States) condemned the last point, which was included at the instignation of India, saving it struck at the roots of freedom of the Press. "It gives Governments authority to sit in judgment on the correctness of news reports and decide what constitutes friendly and unfriendly reporting," he said. Canada reserved the right to combat the point at the .Tuly meeting of the Economic and Soeial Council, when the human rights covenant will be debated.