Basic HTML Version
lO
missed the heart of the essential prob–
lem facing the United Nations and the
Secretary-General.
For example, U Thant had been criti–
cized for his indecisiveness. One articlc
was titled:
U
Thant:
A St11dy
in Calt–
tion.
But it was not necessarily his cau–
tion; the nations had cautioned him.
They had NOT empowered the Secre–
tary-General to act.
Where Does the Fault Lie ?
Since the sovereignty of a nation is
the highest recognized power unit in the
world, there is no greater Hall of Judg–
ment to which nations can go. Politi–
cally the UN is merely a forum for
11ational
interest.
With this thought in mind, I pulled
the Gideon Bible out of the desk
drawer in the hotel. I turned to Micah
4:3, the verse borrowed by the United
Nations for their wall inscription.
In the scripture the quoted part is
preceded by, "And he shall judge
among many people, and rebuke strong
nations afar off...." The Secretary·
General has been given no power to
rebuke strong
oc
weak nations afar off.
Perhaps this is rightly so.
It is, however, instructive that the
United Nations chooses not to quote
this part of the verse. Because therein
Jies a fundamental weakness of this
great world body. It basically has no
greater power than combined
national
power to call upon in times of ccises.
Thc UN has no power to eliminate or
stop conflict except with the consent of
the goveroed, so to speak. The goveroed
seldom give consent when it is needed.
lt is fruitless to criticize the man
oc
the organization. Critics characterized U
Thant as this or that. He was weak
here, indecisive there. Paradoxically, his
predecessor was considered
too
out·
spoken and too decisive. No doubt sim–
ilar aiticisms will be levelled at the
present Seaetary-General, Kurt Wald–
heim.
Too often the words that the Secre–
tary-General has spoken regarding the
parameters necessary for world peace
have been ignored. U Thant spent ten
years worlcing in the interest of that
peace.
His poor health was in part due to
the strain of the office. As his confidant
The
PLAIN TRUTH
and chief Executive Assistant, Mr. Nara–
simhan told me when 1 asked how Me.
Thant felt, "He will no doubt be feel–
ing much better now that he is no
longer Secretary-General."
The Other Side of the Story
To set the record straight, this issue
of
The
PLAJN TRUTH includes a small
portion of U Thant's writings. These
spell out the cause of world ills and
what is needed to bring wodd peace.
If
the words that U Thant spoke had been
heeded, perhaps millions of üves would
March-April 1972
have been spared in the last ten years.
U Thant's words, along with
Mr.
Narasimhan's interview, are printed in
The
PLAJN TRUTH with the hope that
sorne enlightened wodd leaders and
millions of people will read the words
and apply them to business and social
problems and to interoational relations.
Perhaps these words can fight against
the spi rit that broadcasts hate, self–
ishness and war. Perhaps they can help
tune us to a new wavelength of uni–
versal brotherhood, concern, !ove for
fellowman and peace on earth. O
''What Could We
Build if We Worked
Together''
U Thant, former Secretary-Ge neral of
the United Nations.
Excerpts from the writings and speeches of U Thant, former
Secretary-General of the United Nations, 1961 - 1971 . Re–
marks made at various times throughout U Thant's tenure in
offlce have been put toge ther to emphasize what we must do
in order to achie ve world peace.
Á
QUARTER.
CENTURY has passed sincc
.1"\._
the leaders of a tired and bleed–
ing world put their signatures to
a document boro of the agony and
anguish of war.
The Charter of thc United Nations,
which carne to life in one of history's
most momentous ceremonies, held out
the promise of a world with pcace,
prosperity and freedom. The United
Nations boro of the Charter has done
well, but it has not done well enough.
Tragic Problems St ill with Us
It is unforgivable that so many prob–
lems from the past are still with us,
absorbing vast energies and resources
desperately needed for noble
e
purposes:
a horrid and futile armaments race
instead of world developmeot; remnants
of colonialism, racism and violations of
human rights instead of freedom and
brotherhood; dreams of power and
domination instead of fraternal coexis·
tence; exclusion of great human com–
munities from world cooperation instead
of universality; extension of idoological
domains instead of mutual enrichment
in the art of governing meo to make the
world safe for diversity; local conflicts
instead of neighborly cooperation.
The behavior of many nations is cer–
tainly inadeguate to meet the new chal–
lenges of our small and rapidly
changing planet. Interoational coopera–
tion is lagging considerably.
We Must Turn Away from War
Is it not high time for the leaders of
this world to tuco radically away from
the errors of the past and to realize that
understanding, !ove and tolerance are