Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-06-07
Calm, Firm Approach Unites Allies
Continued From First Page

1aa~a~aNN~fE = ~F~N~ = ~~~~ -
dawn during bedroom confer
ences with weary aides.
The actual negotiating ses-
sions for him were periods Of
convulsive silence spent in elab-
crate doodling or sometimes.
during long translations, In
catching up on his ONCE work.
After the others had their say
he delivered an incisive and
often caustic summation Of the
days progress mailing down
the points and pointing the d.
rection for the next meeting.
The Herter pattern Is quite
different.
IF you had to say just one
thing about Herter." a close as
sociate remarked recently. "it's
that he takes all OF this in
stride"
Before o am. each morning,
when q long black Cadillac with
United States delegation wind
shield sticker No. l pulls up at
the modern ONCE building
which houses the American
Consulate. Secretary Herter's
time Is strictly his own. At the
villa Greta outside Geneva.
where he lives with his wife
Mary and her sister. there are
no early intrusions Of telegram
bearing assistants to shatter
the morning cslm.
Daily star Meeting
At the consulate, the first
formal order OF business Is q
daily stan meeting at $50.
There Mr.. Herter presides over
q general discussion with Q or
10 principal aides. Twice a
week the group Is enlarged to
include junior members Of the
delegation. who are encour-
aged to express their thoughts
about the progress Of the con-
ference. The main purpose Of
the meeting is to lay down the
line Of the American delegation
for daily meeting Of the Allied
coordinating COMMITTEES which
follows an hour later.
The rest Of the Secretary's
morning is spent in the once !
reserved for him at the consu.
late. receiving q variety of call |
lrs ranging from American |
military experts and ambassa-
Tors to the Foreign Minister of |
tran, who happened to be pass
ng through town. About every |
other day there is q final hud-
lie Of the three Western for
sign ministers before lunch. |
Mr.. Herter, after some expert
mental restaurant : hopping. |
now usually eats that meal at |
the nearby Hotel du Rhone.
Those who have worked with |
both Mr.. Dulles and Mr.. Her
:er speak with admiration of |
the latter's calm during the
pre-conference period. He
never gets upset or fused. |
Never kicks up a row about his
speeches"
These, in contrast to Mr.. |
Dulles personal speech-writ-
ing passion. are the result of |
staff work. Drafts prepared by |
one or another delegation ex-
oert-Assistant Secretary for |
Policy Planning Gerard Smith,
Legal Adviser Lotus Becker, |
Public Relations Assistant An
drew Berding-are often per-
sonally revised but seldom, as
in the past, totally rewritten. |
And while the result may lack
the force and flare that /
stamped Mr.. Dulles perform |
ances. the position Of Ameri-
IAN Government and the West
srn world is made no less clear.
Avoids Routine
At odd moments. Secretary
Herter catches up on urgent
ONCE work passed along by |
Max Krebs, a staff assistant. |
In general. however, he is con-
tent to leave routine State
Department matters In the
hands Of Acting Secretary Dill |
Ion in Washington and devote
himself almost entirely to the
conference.
Except on the occasion Of |
Mr.. Dulles death, Mr.. Herter |
has found it unnecessary to !
confer frequently with Presi-
dent Eisenhower on the prog |
ress of the talks. Although |
nightly cables to the State De- |
partment are relayed to the |
White House as a matter Of ,
information, there has been
no change in the allied position |
that would require q new
consultation with the boss.
For those who have known
the man. this calm, almost
detached approach to the days !
work is neither new nor un-
expected. 1t is rather his per-
Torrance in dealing with his
Western colleapIIes and in the