Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-10-04

DCCI CLu1 SCtCf VI DuS mum
General Assembly yesterday
The head of the Soviet dele
cation to the General Assem-
bly,, this morning, in exercising
his right Of reply. said, among
many other things, that the
present secretary general has
always been biased against the
Socialist countries, that he has
used the United Nations in
support of the colonial powers,
fighting the CongoleSe govern
ment and parliament in order
to impose "a new yoke on the
Congo" and finally that If 1,
myself. and I quote, do not
muster up enough courage to
resign, so say in a chivalrous
manner, then the Soviet Union
will draw the necessary conclu-
sions from the obtained situa-
ton"
In support of this challenge,
the representative Of the So
Wet Union said that it is not
proper for a man who has
"fouted elementary justice to
hold such an important post
as that Of the secretary gen.
eral." And later on he found
reason to say to the delegates
OF this session that they should
not submit to the clamorous
phrases pronounced here" by
me "in attempts to justify the
b bloody crime perpetrated
against the Congolese people. "
The General Assembly can
rightly expect an immediate
reply from my side to a state
ment so directly addressed to
me and regarding the matter
Of such potential significance.
Cites Recent Events
The Assembly has witnessed
over the last weeks how historic
cal truth is established; once
an allegation has been repeated
a few times, it is no longer an
allegation, it is an established
fact, even if no evidence has
been brought out in order to
support it. However, facts are
facts, and the true facts are
there for whosever cares for
truth. Those who invoke his
tory will certainly be heard by
history. And they will have to
accept its verdict as it will be
pronounced on the basis Of the
facts by men free of mind and
firm in their conviction that
only on a scrutiny Of truth can
a future Of peace be built.
I have no reason to defend
myself or my colleagues against
the accusations in Judgment to
which you have listened. Let
me say only this, that YOU
all Of you-are the judges. No
single party can claim that au-
thority. I am sure you will be
guided by truth and justice.
In particular. let those who
know what the United Nations
has done and is doing in the
Congo and those who are not
pursuing aims proper only to
themselves, pass Judgment on
our actions there. Let the
countries who have liberated
themselves in the last Is years
speak for themselves.
Can't Be Weak
regret that the intervention
to which I have found it neces-
sary to reply has again ended
to personalize an issue which.
as I have said. in my view is
not a question Of a man but of
an institution. The man does
not count: the institution does.
A weak or non-existent execu-
tive would mean that the
United Nations would no longer
be able to serve as an effective
instrument for active protec-
ton OF the interests of those
many members who need such
protection. The man holding
the responsibility as chief ex-
ecutive should leave if he
weakens the executive: he
should stay if this is necessary
for its maintenance. This, and
only this, seems to me to be
the substantive criterion that
has to be applied.
I said the other day that I
would not wish to continue to
serve as secretary general one
day longer than such continued
service was. and was considered
to be. in the best interests of
the organization. The state
ment this morning seems to in
dictate that the Soviet Union
finds it impossible to work with
the present secretary general.
This may seem to provide a
strong reason why I should
resign.
However. the Soviet Union
has also made it clear that, If
the present secretary general
were to resign now, they would
not wish to elect a new incum-
bent but insist on an arrange
ment which-and this is my
f1rm conviction based on broad
experience-would make it inn
possible to maintain an effec-
tive executive. BY reSigning, I
would, therefore, at the present
difficult and dangerous juno
ture, throw the organization to
the winds. I have no right to do
so because I have a responsible
ity to all those states members