315.3/9–1153
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs (Murphy)
- Subject:
- Recent Decisions of the Administrative Tribunal
Secretary General Hammarskjold called on me today and set forth at considerable length his preoccupation regarding the recent decisions of the Administrative Tribunal granting awards to dismissed employees of the United Nations. He referred to an unexpected visit to the United Nations building yesterday by Senator McCarthy, accompanied by Messrs. Cohn and Schine, who appeared at the Headquarters building as unexpected and casual visitors, whom Hammarskjold met without prior arrangement in the Lounge.1 Hammarskjold said that in his remarks Senator McCarthy suggested that Mr. Hammarskjold should not work too hard and acquire ulcers. Hammarskjold replied to the effect that he had no reason to fear stomach ulcers.
Hammarskjold said he referred to this meeting with Senator McCarthy because it related to his own belief that there will be a campaign directed against a number of minor American employees of the United Nations and possibly one or two more important members. In the latter connection, he mentioned the name of Dr. Bunche.2 He stated that he feared that some of these minor cases, such as that of a certain Varley and several others involving morals charges, might be blown up to discredit the United Nations organization. He said that this will be most unfortunate and unhappy, and that he regretted it especially because proper administrative measures are being taken to handle these cases in a normal and effective manner.
With respect to the recent decisions of the Administrative Tribunal, it is clear from Hammarskjold’s remarks that he feels that he has no discretion but to respect the decisions regarding awards. He suggested that, in his opinion, rather than a frontal attack on the Administrative Tribunal as such, he should work for an amendment of the regulations which would provide the Secretary General with larger discretionary power to determine the size of a given award within whatever ceilings might be established by the Administrative Tribunal. He believes that a frontal attack on the Tribunal in the General Assembly would be defeated because the majority of the Members do not share [Page 352] the United States’ aversion for that body. He pointed out that it is, of course, a European concept which is generally accepted by a large percentage of the Member countries.
I suggested to Mr. Hammarskjold that I believed he fully understood the considerations of a domestic nature which concerned us in this matter and the danger which enforcement of the Tribunal’s decisions might engender regarding future appropriations. He said that he fully understood our preoccupation in this regard and is extending every effort to avoid the unfavorable reaction about which he has been warned.
- Roy M. Cohn and G. David Schine were members of the staff of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Senate Committee on Government Operations. The subcommittee was commonly known as the McCarthy Committee after its chairman. For further documentation on the impact of the McCarthy investigations on the Department of State and the decline of United States prestige abroad, see volume i.↩
- Ralph J. Bunche, Principal Director of the Department of Trusteeship and Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories, UN Secretariat.↩