European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 4, 1962, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Self effacing u Thant has proven he s a Man of action too the . S acting Secretary Genera is no Mere administrator by Max Haft Relson a staff writer Flthe acting Secretary general of the Al United nations has been called gentle Oft spoken unobtrusive self effacing Tol rant and Serene. But during Hla first three months in office u Thant has demonstrated that he is also a Tough minded Man of action. He has made u Clear thut he does not regard himself simply As an administrator. Instead he intends to play a positive role a trying to maintain world peace a concept originated and developed by is predecessors Trygve ice and Dag Hammarskjold. Many Felt that the office of Secretary general would never again att in the pres Tige it had under Hammar skjold. Now they Are not so sure perhaps Thant s colleague ambassador . Malul Sekera of Ceylon was pretty close to the Mark when he de scribed the acting Secretary general Asti Mun who derives his strength from quiet dignity in an age when strength is often equated with aggressiveness and  the 53-year-old burmese Diplo mat assumed office in the darkest Days of . History he has won plaudits for the vigorous manner in which he took charge. He already has taken important and in some cases controversial action in the Congo. He has taken the Lead in trying to head off the . S threatened bankruptcy by proposing an unprecedented Bond Issue of 5200 million. He in seeking to mediate the dispute Between the Netherlands an Indonesia Over new Guinea and he has taken Steps to broaden the political an geographic Structure of the secretarial. There is almost Universal agreement that his actions have helped to dispel Iho deep gloom which enveloped . Headquarters after Hamoui skjold s death in a plane crush last september. This is not unanimous however. To Linn has been criticized sharply by some groups in tin United states and even by official sin Britain.  t1 and Belgium for his use of . Forces against the troops of Katrin a president Moise Tshombe there is still one big question Mark can lie continue to hold the support of the russians or will he like his predecessors get into hoi water its a result of his free Wheeling in Ilia live so far then has been no serious friction even though Thant Lias taken Steps known to be contrary to soviet wishes. The rus sians have simply dropped reminders that Hunt s appointment i s temporary and that they Are watching every move. The russians sire unhappy Wilh Thant for just the opposite reasons to his critics in the West they insist he has not shown enough enthusiasm in his efforts to liquidate Tel Combe s mercenaries and that he erred in trying to make peace Between Tshombe and the Central congolese govern ment. They also oppose the Bond Issue. But than s boldness in the Congo and in pushing the Bond Plain heartened West Ern diplomats. Soviet Deputy foreign minister Valerian a. Zorn recently stated that whether Tow Kremlin would drop its demand Tor troika arrangement and support Thant for a full five year term As Secretary Gen eral will depend on what happens during the next few months. " the question is expected to come up during the autumn meeting of the general Assembly although Thant s Stop  Terr does not end until april 1963. The russians can Block his election by a Security coun cil veto. A., if Thant is concerned he Doe t show i but he is not making any Long Range plan either. Of. ,.,. It is still a mystery Why the russians accepted Thant in the first place. He state openly that he admired Hammarskjold and intended to move in the same general direction despite soviet attacks on Hammarskjold s efforts to enlarge the role of the Secretary general apart from this apparent identity of purpose. Thant and Hammarskjold had Little in common. It is _ True both came from Small Neutral countries both were relatively unknown and both assumed of fice when the United nations was threat ened with disintegration. But their per Sonal background and their Way of life could hardly be More different. Thant comes from a middie class family in a Buddhist asian country. Before enter ing diplomacy he had been a High school English teacher and a government press Secretary. Hammarskjold was an Aristo crat and an intellectual whose father had been prime minister of Sweden. Thant is simple and direct. Hammarskjold was a Mystic who wrote and spoke in such abstract terms that he inspired a widely circulated witticism the United nations has six official languages English French russian Spanish chinese and Hammarskjold. Thant has simple tastes. He is perfectly Content with an a ostentatious Black car. His 11-room apartment has Little to distinguish it from others in the comfortable but aging apartment building on manhat Tan s East 72nd St. His Reading is mainly limited to diplomacy and related Fields. For example he recently finished George Beniam s Russia and the West under Len in and stalin.". His secret vice one Friend confided is television boxing and wrestling. He also has it fondness for burmese Che roots which to has shipped in from Rangoon. Thant gave up the 80-Acrc estate to Brewster n.y., where Hammarskjold went at weekends for relaxation and meditation. It s too expansive and too  Wai Thant s terse comment after visiting it. Thant was born to 1909 in Pantana near Rangoon. It wus u no i prime minister of Burma who finally in 1947 persuaded Thant to abandon teaching and journalism and take charge of the government press department. He come to new York in 1957 As Burma s permanent , Delegate. Sunday March 4, 1962 the stars and stripes