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4. I EXPRESSED MY SERIOUS CONCERN
AT THE TIME ALL THIS
SEEMED LIKELY TO TAKE IN THE FACE OF WHAT WE SAW AS THE
DESPERATE URGENCY OF THE SITUATION. AFTER HIS ADVICE HAD BEEN
GIVEN TO WALDHEIM THERE WOULD NO DOUBT HAVE TO BE FURTHER
DELAY WHILE THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE ACTUAL CONFERENCE WERE
MADE. I SAID THAT I WOULD BE REPORTING TO YOU THAT I HAD
ONCE AGAIN UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACHED TO EARLY ACTION,
THAT HE HAD NOTED THIS AND LOOKED FORWARD TO DISCUSSING THE
MATTER WITH MR BLAKER. HE NODDED.
5. HARTLING'S DISLIKE OF THE CONFERENCE WAS EVEN MORE APPARENT THAN ON THE LAST OCCASION ON WHICH WE TALKED, NOT LEAST BECAUSE THE SECRETARY- GENERAL FAILED TO CONSULT HIM IN ADVANCE BEFORE GIVING HIM THE TASK OF CARRYING OUT CONSULTATIONS WHICH HE SEES AT LEAST
IN PART POLITICAL. HE EXPRESSED TO ME HIS FEAR THAT THE
CONFERENCE WOULD BE USED ONLY FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES AND WOULD NOT
RESULT IN ANY MORE OFFERS OF PLACES AND MONEY THEN WOULD HAVE
EMERGED FROM LESS CONTROVERSIAL BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH
GOVERNMENTS ABOUT HIS PLAN. I DREW ATTENTION TO THE PRAISE IN THE
PRIME MINISTER'S LETTER FOR HIS EFFORTS AND SAID THAT OUR
PRINCIPAL CONCERN WAS TO GET HIM MORE OFFERS OF PLACES AND MONEY.
HE REPLIED THAT INSOFAR AS THE PRIME MINISTERS INITIATIVE BY ITS
UNDERLIVING OF THE SCOPE AND SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM CONTRIBUTED TO MAKING GOVERNMENTS MORE FORTHCOMING IN THEIR OFFER TO HIM, HE WAS EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR WHAT SHE HAD DONE. HOWEVER IT WAS A LONG -
CHERISHED PRINCIPLE TO WHICH HE THOUGHT WE SUBSCRIBED THAT THE
HIGH COMMISSIONER SHOULD NOT BE '' DRAGGED INTO THE POLITICAL ARENA"!
HIS MANDATE WAS TO HELP REFUGEES IN ALL COUNTRIES WHATEVER THE
POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES. HE CERTAINLY HAD HIS OWN VIEWS ABOUT THE
WAY THE VIETNAMESE WERE BEHAVING. BUT THAT WAS ANOTHER MATTER, IT
WOULD BE WRONG FOR HIM TO DO ANYTHING WHICH WOULD PREJUDICE THE
ABILITY OF HIS ORGANISATION TO HELP THE REFUGEES. I SAID THAT IT
WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM REALISTICALLY IN ANY INTER- MATIONAL FORUM WITHOUT SOME REFERENCE TO THE HARSH POLITICAL,
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:
REALITIES