Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-10
BY SAUL PETIT

UNI ELL INA 11NJIN0, ~. Ill
world which increasingly has come
to regard itself as split between
good and evil, black and white, tyr
amy and freedom, Dag Ham
marskjold quietly seeks the gray
tones in between
The Secretary General of the
United Nations does this with little
or no fanfare. temperament or in
vective. His cool poiSe by now is
legendary: among U. NJ reporters
vainly seeking eruptions. Mr.. Ham
marskjold is known as "the
Glacier" He just doesn't erupt or
even heat up in public.
This helps explain why he has not
only survived the hazards of his
Job but actually flourished without
mourning the noticeable enmity of
any member nation. He still is erect
in job which could easily leave
him on the end of a limb or up on
high. slack wire.
Among other things, he is highly
respected among U. N. delegates for
the cease-fire he recently achieved
in the Middle East at time when,
according to highly placed West
ern diplomat, the best informed
people thought war would break out
momentarily. He is also the man
who noticeably reduced the worlds
temperature early in 1855 by secur-
ing from Chou En-lai the release
of United States fiers from Chinese
prison camps.
Such achievements brought the
Secretary General great praise for
his powers of analysis, Olympian
detachment, tact and quiet persua-
sion. Asked himself for an insight
into such negotiations. Mr.. Ham
marskjold added another dimen-
sion.
No Poker Come
1.-The public" he told recent
visitor. "has basic misconception,
it believes the purpose of negotia-
tons is to strike a bargain OF win
a poker game or trick the other
fellow. This is not true. Between
sovereign states, no solution is valid
If the other party feels he has been
wronged.
1.-THE public never sees that with
the kind of people you have to deal
with on high level, you can take
1t for granted that in their eyes
they have good case. There must
be some elements in his case you
can recognize as right. you must be
able to reconstruct his world. The
solution must take into account the
valid elements of his case or else
he will be back here again a year
later.
Il am always irritated by talk of
failure or success of this OF that
mission. 1t has to be judged in
more subtle terms. The measure
of success is not whether you get
what you expected but whether.
given the real facts of the real
situation, you achieved the optimum
possible. In seeking any solution,
we must always remember that all
parties have to continue to live
together
At so. after three years in what
his predecessor called "the most
impossible job in the world" Mr..
Hammarskjold looks younger. more
relaxed. more contentedly absorbed.
less ulcerous and more poised than
any man has right to look on
this neurotic planet. Of which, in
sense, he is chief executive officer.
With his sandy. wavy hair. clear.
pale-blue eyes. bright bow ties and
comfortable lounge suits and loafers.
he looks like nothing more COM
plicated than young man who has
just emerged from the shower in a
ski lodge and is now EN- route, with
a quiet zest, to the smorgasbord
table. He is. however, more COM
plicated than he looks.
His mind is fast and subtle. its
speed frequently being compared
to that of Jet plane which is gone
by the time you hear IT, He is
broadly Intellectual. cultured to a
HlsH pOllSI, knowing student OF
philosophy, political science. mod
ern poetry and modern art, and
Is blesSed-or cursed-by the need
of the objective thinker to see not
one OF two but all sides of given
subject
In private-only in private--Mr.
Hammarskjold has been known to
talk tough with delegates. including
the American and Russian men,
bers. He has his own ways Of letting
of steam
Its a question of words and
mental economy he says. IF I
think man is being foolish, may
have TO tell him. But can't. as
you say, blow my top. I have to be
frank but without heat"
Mr.. Hammarskjold comes by his