European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Odd o by Max Harrelson a staff writer for More than six years u Thant soft spoken burmese Diplomat has been devoting most of his working hours to the unique role of professional peace trough quiet diplomacy at . Head quarters and Jet diplomacy in the world s capitals the 59-year-old Secretary Gener Al has had a personal role in every major crisis from the Congo conflict to Vietnam. To his associates acknowledge that his efforts have brought no major outbreak of peace but they believe he has helped to ease tensions on numerous occasion Sand that he has served As a useful Channel of communications in time of conflict. Cit also is generally agreed that he has done much to win recognition for the concept that the Secretary general should serve not Only As chief administrative officer for the United nations but should act As a sort of super troubleshooter. While his views of the peacemaking role of the Secretary general Are not much different from those of his predecessors Trygve lie and Dag Ham marsk Joll Thant has been More successful than they in maintaining his acceptability to All ideologies and Al geographic blocs. Because of his often Blunt language Thant has offended Many govern ments including the United states France the soviet Union and Israel. He has been accused of being the tool of the United states of being pro communist of being anti Degaulle and of being anti Israel but there has been no lasting damage. When the time came to choose a Suc Cessor at the end of his first five year term All joined in urging him to stay on for another five years. And All including the soviet Union agreed this right to take political initiatives. He appears to be completely unruffled at All times but behind his Calm asian front invisible tensions have taken their toll. In 1964 he was hospitalized by an ulcer attack. He was fully recovered within a year and since then he has resumed his practice of having an occasional Daiquiri his favorite cocktail and he puffs on his Black burmese Cherooty throughout the Day. Any lingering doubt about his physical stamina was dispelled in 1965 by his strenuous peace Mission to the India subcontinent during the undeclared War Between India and Pakistan. He Miles in nine Days and took part in Long and difficult talks with top officials of the two countries. Thanks biggest frustration had been his failure in four years of almost continuous Effort to Transfer theme Nam conflict from the Battlefield to the conference table. He never concealed is disappointment but never completely save up on it frustration was so great that he came near stepping Down at the end of is first term but he agreed to stay i a work leaders persuaded him Nat he could contribute More to a peace la j a Hement As Thanh coi Iid As a private citizen new ago a win upset by Stol Les doting diplomats As St ulness As a Vietnam ne-�1 be a imbed after a bitter a f Sim a North the View if i Ever id v i fullness. Has ended Riff 3 Sha not hesitate to ask the Gen Tounch to commend to the s la by a new Man to take on of Miles representative est unsuccessful support of red China and than one occasion he appealed Secretary general likes to puff Black burmese Che roots throughout Day. A Pope s visit to United nations is regarded by Thant As personal Triumph. Up to the soviet Union to join Britain i reconvening a conference of interested parties in Geneva because North Vietnam is not a member of the United nations and do snot recognize its authority Thant has had to Deal with Hanoi representative Sas a fellow asian rather than in his official capacity. He has remained How Ever As one of the principal links be tween the North vietnamese and Washington. The Rudoy May 16, 1968 the stars and stripes Vietnam has been overshadowing other world problems but Thant s peace efforts have by no Means been confine to this conflict. He has been deeply involved in Middle East peace moves Cyprus the yemeni civil War the cuban missile crisis the uprising in the dominican Republic a settlement of the indonesian Netherlands dispute Over West irian West new Guinea and the Congo. Sometimes he has taken a Persona role As he did in the Kashmir crisis when he flew to new Delhi and Rawal Pindi at the request of the Security coun cil. He also has acted numerous time through special representatives who have reported directly to him. At the moment the Secretary Gen eral s special representative swedish Diplomat Gunnar v. Jarring is carrying on the Only major peace Effort in the Middle East and is operating under the personal direction of the Secretary Gen of the big personal triumphs of the Secretary general was the visit of Pope Paul i to the United nations in 1965. The visit was Thant s idea conceived months before it took place. According to Thant s account the though first occurred to him 10 months earlier when the Pope sent him the text of his special Appeal for an end to the Arma ments Appeal said Thant and the desire of his holiness to place it at the service of the United nations prompted Rne with the full support of the then president of the general Assembly to seek the agreement of his holiness to appear before and address the Gener Al some of Thant s peace Mission shave not Only been unsuccessful but have been downright embarrassing. One was his flight to Havana during the missile crisis. With the consent of the United states and the soviet Union he took off for the cuban capital to arrange for . Inspection of the soviet mis Sile withdrawal. But Fidel Castro gave him a Sharp Rebuff for assuming that Cuba would accept inspection and sent him Back to new York empty handed. Thant played an important role in the earlier Exchange of messages be tween Nikita Khrushchev and presiden Kennedy and his contribution to a Solu Tion has been widely acknowledged. One of Thant s biggest difficulties i addition to negotiating peaceful Settle ments has been in operating the . Peacekeeping machinery. He has Broad authority for example in the direction of . Forces in the Field. These operations like peace efforts also involve political initiatives and decisions. His decision last May to withdraw . Emergency Force from egyptian territory at the request of presiden Gumal Abdel Nasser got him into hot water More than any other action he has taken. In retrospect it is agreed that he had the authority to act and that he prob ably had Little Choice in the matter outcome critics thought he acted with undue Security Council and other . Organs repeatedly have shown their Confidence in Thant however by assigning to him difficult and delicate tasks. When Thant announced his decision Tolly to the Indian subcontinent during the India Pakistan conflict in 1965, Arthur j. Goldberg welcomed his announcement in these words we Hope we know that his prestige his impartiality his fair Ness and the dignity of his office will help bring this tragedy to a prompt Clos and Point the Way towards establishment of an enduring peace Between these two great Page 11
