Soviet Plans For New U.N. Chief

Press, Volume C, Issue 29469, 22 March 1961, Page 15

Soviet Plans For New U.N. Chief

(Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 20. The Soviet Union was reported today to be ready to drop its demands for a reorganisation of the United Nations Secretariat on condition that Mr Dag Hammarskjold was replaced as Secretary-General by an African or Asian neutralist.

Usually reliable sources said the Soviet Union had let some African and Asian delegations know that it would not then press Mr Khrushchev’s plans for an executive triumvirate to supplant the office of Secretary-General.

They, were also said to have "'(yen indications that Mr Mongi Slim of Tunisia, Mr Rajeshwar Dayal of India, and Dr. Ali Sastroamidjojo of Indonesia were persons any of wham would be acceptable to them as Secre-tary-General. It was assumed that one of these diplomats would be acceptable as Mr Hammarskjold’s successor for the remainder of his five-year term, which expires in April,

The Soviet Union recently broke Off relations with Mr Hammarskjold after repeatedly accusing him of serving as a “lackey” to the “colonisers” in the Congo. But a Soviet bid in the Security Council to push through a resolution for Mr Hammarskjold’s dismissal

was overwhelmingly defeated.

In fact, there is no provision for the dismissal of a Secretary - General. The United Nations chief could resign, however, if he felt he had lost the confidence of the United Nations.

Some diplomatic quarters were privately of the opinion that Mr Hammarskjold would be prepared to step down if there was agreement between East and West on his successor. He has said that the triumvirate idea—an executive body representing equally Western, Communist and uncommitted blocs—would not work. In any event, the move would require amendment of the United Nations Charter, which specifically provides for a Secretary-General to head the international secretariat