A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
WITH ratifications of the United Nations Charter coming in fast: speculation about the appointment of a Secretary-General is beginning. It is the most important post connected with the whole organisation, for the Secretary-General appoints his own staff and on the international civil service thus built up—on its loyalty to the con- ception of an international organisation as much as on its compe- tence—the success of the whole of the United Nations adventure will depend. It is desired, if possible, and rightly, to find someone from one of the smaller nations, but that, in fact, will be very far from easy. My own choice, in that category, would be Mr. S. M. Bruce, if he would take it ; he has, of course, been Prime Minister of Australia, and is just ending his term as High Commissioner here. He is sixty-two, but could well serve for a five-year term. But I have heard another extremely interesting suggestion—that an attempt should be made to secure Commander Stassen, the outstand- ing member of the American delegation at San Francisco, who has, I believe, twice been Governor of Minnesota, though still under forty, and is considered well in the running for the Republican nomi- nation for President in 1948. He may, of course, be unwilling to relinquish that. Otherwise he would be ideal—provided the seat of the organisation is outside the United States.
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