Speculation about Thant’s successor

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32567, 29 March 1971, Page 15

Speculation about Thant’s successor

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright; WASHINGTON, March 28.

The Finnish envoy to the United Nations (Mr Max Jacobson), was named yesterday as the most likely of the six men mentioned as possible candidates to succeed the United Nations SecretaryGeneral (U Thant), when he retires at the end of the year. Mr Jacobson, aged 47, a Jewish scholar-diplomat, was one of the six listed by the “Washington Post” as aspirants to tiie post. The newspaper’s United Nations correspondent, Robert Estabrook, also gave the Mexican Ambassador to the United Nations (Mr Alfonso Garcia Robles), as one of the possible candidates. He said that Mr Garcia’s name was being mentioned, even though the Mexican Government had not supported his candidacy. Estabrook said that Jacob-

son had been credited with a "brilliant performance,” since his arrival at the United Nations in 1965. “Some persons believe," Estabrook said, “that a third Scandinavian in the post, after Trygve Lie and Dag Hammerskjold, would affront the sensibilities of Africans, who believe their turn has come.” The other candidates mentioned by Estabrook were Prince Sadruddin Khan, of Iran, who is the United Nations high commissioner for refugees; the Austrian ambassador (Mr Kurt Waldheim), a former Foreign Minister and the conservative candidate for the Austrian Presidency; the Ceylonese Ambassador (Mr Hamilton Shirley Amerisinche), chairman of the General Assembly seabed committee; and the Singapore Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew).