Confirmation of President Conant as German High Commissioner moved a rapid step nearer completion yesterday when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee decided not to wait for an FBI loyalty probe, and began immediate action on the nomination of Conant and four other dignitaries.

Secretary of State John Foster Dulles will, instead, be required to certify to each nominee's loyalty through a letter to the committee.

Meanwhile, controversy over the Conant choice continued both on religious and economic fronts, although according to Senator Alexander wiley (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate committee, no formal protest has been received.

McCarthy, Mundt Oppose

Senators Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.) and Karl Mundt (R-S.D.) spearheaded opposition to the nomination. McCarthy said he had received a "tremendous number of letters"--mostly from Massachusetts--opposing Conant.

McCarthy's objection center on Conant's speech at Mechanics Hall in Boston last April, in which the educator expressed the opinion that private schools are a "divisive influence. . .harmful to democratic unity." The statement was immediately interpreted and criticized by Catholic leaders as an attack on parochial schools.

Baptist Defends Choice

Dr. Joseph M. Dawson, executive director of the Baptist Public Affairs Office in Washington, D.C., jumped to Conant's defense. He blasted a campaign against the retiring president "through the Church press."

"Conant's Boston speech has been continuously misconstrued by a minority group," he said. Dawson asserted that if the "divisive" controversy became the criterion of Conant's appointment. If would be "particularly unfortunate, since it would mean that sectarian interests would be allowed to control appointments to public office."

Mundt objected to Conant because he felt him a "too bookish sort of fellow." He added that he hasn't decided to vote against Conant, but that "a better choice could have been made."

The criticisms followed objections raised earlier by Congressman Ray J. Madden of Indiana. South Boston Congressman John mcCormack added his claim that "millions of Americans were angered by the speech at Mechanics Hall.