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It serves to remind us that the pre–
dominant rivalries of our era, political,
military, or ideological, are also the
most wasteful consumers of our time,
spirit, talent, resources and even of life.
The simplest citizen can grasp the
fact that a fraction of the money that
will be spent throughout the world on
armaments in 1967 could finance
economic and social programs, both
national and global, on a scale hitherto
undreamed of.
If
nations could only lay
down the sword and live in harmony,
the world might, with judicious lead–
ership and management, well become a
place which could rival all the utopias
of the philosophers - and certainly be
far more interesting.
We are oow in a positioo, if we work
together, to foresee aod, to sorne extent,
to determine the future course of human
development. We can do this, however,
only
if
we cease to fear and harass each
other and if together we accept, wel–
come, aod plan the changes that must
inevitably come about.
If
this really means a change in
"human nature," then it is high time we
begao to work toward such a change.
What is certainly required is a change
in sorne human political attitudes and
habits.
As a human being who believes that
life on this planet has sorne purpose, I
cannot regard a permanent threat of
universal desttuction with equanimity. I
have been trained all
my
life to regard
human life as sacred. I abhor violence
and violent death. I do not particularly
worry much about my owo life, but I do
worry a great deal about the children of
today - how they should be taught,
how they should be brought up, what
kind of life they should live and what
values they ought to cherish. I do not
particularly distioguish between the
lives of my own children and the lives
of the children of other people, nor do
I distinguish between Burmese lives and
American Jives and Russian 1ives and
Chinese lives. It is life itself that is
threatened.
Threatened by whom?
It
is certaioly
not a threat made by the people -
American people, Russian people, or the
Chinese people. People all over the
world are very much the same. Their
The
PLAIN
TRUTH
materia} needs are much tbe same; their
ideals and aspirations are much the
same. They differ tragically in standards
of living, but there is no reason at
all
why these inequalities, which may be a
reason for envy, distrust and even bit–
terness, should not be resolved by
peaceful meaos.
It is a paradox that history is mainly
a chronicle of wars, yet, during all
human history, men have always sbared
a common yearning for peace. The goal
of peace aod brotherhood is preached
by every major reJigion, each in its own
March-April
1972
way, but the goal itself is common to all
humanity.
In our own generation, the world has
been ravaged by two world wars, which
have taken an enormous toll of human
life and have also caused, in the words
of the Charter, "untold sorrow to man–
kind." But the blood' that was shed
during these two world wars would be
but a rivulet compared to the torrent of
blood tbat will fl.ow if, by our own lack
of wisdom and restraint, we should
once again unleash the terrible forces of
war in this nuclear age. O
''There Seems to Be
Something Wrong With
the Human Race''
- C. V. Narasimhan, Execulive Assistanl (Chef de Cabinel)
lo the Secrelary-Gene ral of lhe United Notions
On
the following pages are portions
of
an exclusive interview
granted to The PLAIN TRUTH magazine by
C.
V. Narasimhan,
Chef de Cabinet .
Mr. Narasimhan started working for
tbe United Nations during September
1956
in Bangkok, Thailand. Along with
Dr. Ralph Bunche, he carne to New
York in January
1959.
At that time,
Mr. Narasimhan began work on the
thirty-eighth floor of the United Na–
tions as Undersecretacy of Special
Political Affairs. In August
1961,
he
took charge of the office of Chef de
Cabinet, an office he has retained for
the last ten-and-a-half years.
Me.
Nar–
asimhao will continue his responsibil–
icies under the new Secretary-General,
Kurt Waldbeim.
For practica! purposes, he is the sec–
ond in command under the Secretary–
General. When U Thant was in the hos–
pital, he was able ro tell diplomats and
sraff workers to implement important
decisions, and he wou ld later get U
Thant's
ex post jacto
okay.
Mr. Narasimhan is only the second
mao to hold the
~sition
of Chef de
Cabinet. With h1s fifteen-and -a-half
years experience in the United Nations
and given his present position, Mr.
Narasímhan has become a sort of ad–
visor to each Secretacy-General.
Q.
The United Nations has been
cri ticized as lacking the necessary
power to stop international disputes
and conflicts. Would you consider this
valid?
A.
I agree witb you that this
is
abso–
lutely right. It makes the friends of the
United Nations very sad that the United
Nations does not have more authority.
But you must also realize that what
authority the Uoited Nations has
which is very líttle - represeots the
lowest common denorninator of the
autbority that the members give to the
United Natíons.
Q.
Could you briefly explain this
concept?
A.
To give you an example of a major
power, take the United States. She
might waot the United Nations to take
a very strong step in regards to stopping
the war in the Indian subcontinent. But
the United States would not wish to
give the United Nations tbe same power