Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-10
HommorskjoId Believes
Quiet Way Is Best Way


urally. For centuries his wealthy,
aristocratic family has supplied
Sweden with statesmen. lawyers
and soldiers. His father. a staunch
isolationist. was Premier during
World War l. Among other things,
the son served as Undersecretary of
Finance and later Minister without
Portfolio in the Foreign Office.
Virtuolly Unknown
But in 1858, at the time of his
selection to the u N. job, he was
virtually unknown outside of Swe-
den. The fact that the Russians
quickly agreed to his selection made
some Western delegates wonder.
1--WE had, you might say, feeling
of caution, show me- attitude"
says a Western diplomat. But
then number of things happened.
Mr.. Hammarskjold proved resolute
as an administrator and got rid of
staff people whose integrity was
questionable.
His missions to Peiping and the
Middle East showed great skill All
these things helped build our conf
dence in him. However, his work
always will be closely scrutinized
with what you might call a healthy
skepticism; that is inherent in the
job, not the man"
A shy, modest man. Mr.. Ham
marskjold avoids publicity. He is
convinced he can be more effective
seeking the confidence of delegates
off-stage than on. People don't
mind taking advice" he once said.
but they don't like being publi-
cized as taking advice"
AS the U. MS top administrator,
Mr.. Hammarskjold has tried to give
the 1000 staff members a family
feeling. He frequently refers to
U. N. headquarters as "this house"
He encouraged the creation of clubs
among employees and instituted a
yearly staff day." a program of
entertainment by topflight artists,
over which Mr.. Hammarskjold pre-
sides as a slightly unbending but
pleasant master of ceremonies.
Positive on Art
A man with definite tastes in
art. Mr. HammarSkjold is virtual
dictator about decorative effects.
The new wall colors of the lobby
in the Secretsriat were his personal
selection. The other day a certain
Matisse showed up on a wall of
the Delegates Lounge. The pic
ture disappeared the next day; the
Secretary General didn't like it.
Mr.. Hammarskjold's own Offices.
on the 18th floor of the Secretariat
building. are large. comfortable and
done in Swedish Modern-neat,
clean lines, subdued. uncluttered.
The paintings. each carefully Sc
lected, were borrowed from the
Museum of Modern Art.
Just outside his private Office,
there are three lights by which he
discreetly directs the flow of traf-
fic. Red tells his secretary he's not
to be disturbed Green means it's
okay to come in any time. yellow
means. interrupt me in a moment
and help get rid of this windbag.
Mr.. Hammarskjold. a wealthy
bachelor in his own right. gets tax
free from the U. N. salary of
$4,000, living allowance of $780,
900 and housing allowance of SIS
900 in a Job which calls for fire.
quent, expensive entertainment.
He maintains an eight-room
apartment on Park avenue and
100-acre country home near Brew
ster, N. Y. III neither place is
there television, about which he is
known to have pronounced feelings.
Mr.. Hammarskjold spends his
week ends at his country place.
Weather permitting. he gets into
thick hiking shoes. Argyle sox and
leather shorts and goes on strenuous
hikes in which his running COM
ments about international affairs
are frequently interrupted toi COM
ment on rare bird.
Is Mr.. Hammarskjold at all nerv-
Gus when he goes off on a foreign
mission crucial to world peace2 A
friend recently put the question to
him.
You just can't do more than
your BEST" he said. you give the
problem everything you have and
then you have a good conscience
and feel relaxed. You can't meas
ure yourself against some abstract
perfection.
when you have imbued yourself
thoroughly with the problem -
when 1t is part Of your blood
there is no use making any plans,
because there is always an unknown
factor--the psychology Of the other
fellow From there on. previously
arranged plans would only get in
the way; you then have TO play it
by ear
ASSOCIATED PresO