7. Telegram 1900 From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, May 18, 1973, 2339Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
USUN 1900
R 182339 Z MAY 73
FM USMISSION USUN NY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8064
USUN 1900
EXDIS
E. O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR
UN
SUBJ: US AND THE UN
1. AMB SCALI CALLED ON SYG WALDHEIM MAY 17 TO TOUR HORIZON PRIOR TO SYG’ S SCHEDULED MAY 19 DEPARTURE FOR AFRICA. WALDHEIM OPENED CONVERSATION BY AGAIN THANKING SCALI FOR MAY 11 SPEECH AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY. (IN INFORMAL CORRIDOR ENCOUNTER HE HAD PREVIOUSLY THANKED SCALI FOR FAVORABLE REMARKS.) WALDHEIM SAID HE WISHED TO THANK SCALI NOT ONLY FOR REFERENCES TO HIMSELF BUT ALSO FOR GENERAL SUPPORT OF UN. “WE HAVE VERY SIMILAR APPROACHES.” (SCALI INTERJECTED THAT SPEECH HAD NOT BEEN MEANT AS SUPERFICIAL EXERCISE.) SCALI AND WALDHEIM AGREED ON NECESSITY OF PRODUCING SOME CONCRETE RESULTS. WALDHEIM WENT ON TO SAY THAT HE HAD BEEN COUNSELING OTHERS, PARTICULARLY THIRD WORLD REPS, THAT THEY SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON THEIR MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF PUSHING REPETITIVE RESES NOT SUPPORTED BY MAJOR POWERS AND THEREFORE FUTILE. IT WAS A SLOW PROCESS, HE OBSERVED, BUT HE FELT THAT LITTLE BY LITTLE HE WAS “GETTING THROUGH”. HE THOUGHT “ALL CAMPS” IN UN WOULD LIKE TO SEE UN STRENGTHENED.
2. COMMENT: I BELIEVE I AM “GETTING THROUGH” TO WALDHEIM THAT USG GENUINELY SEEKS TO HELP UN ACHIEVE RECORD THAT WILL RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN ORGANIZATION. I BELIEVE HE IS INCREASINGLY AWARE THAT HE MUST BE VERY CAREFUL TO AVOID ACTIONS OFFENSIVE TO US IF HE AND WE ARE TO SUCCEED IN OUR COMMON OBJECTIVES. IT SEEMS TO ME JUST AS WELL THAT HE CONTINUE TO “RUN SCARED” IN SURE KNOWLEDGE WE WILL NOT HESITATE TO LEAN ON HIM, PUBLICLY IF NECESSARY, WHEN HIS RESPECT FOR OUR CONCERNS IS INADEQUATE. END COMMENT.
SCALI