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Speech in the General Assembly Welcoming Dag Hammarskjold as
Secretary-General of the United Nations, April 10, 1953.
 I am sure that I do not have to remind the
General Assembly that, as ringside spectators from many distant parts of
the world, we have today, witnessed a major event in modern history. We
have seen seven long and': distant years come to a close, years during
which Mr. Trygve Lie was one of the major pioneering architects of this
Organization. They were difficult years, and he was faced with many
problems which were undreamt of when the Charter was signed. I am
certain that, as time goes on and this Organization becomes stronger and
stronger, his work will be remembered with greater and greater warmth.
Certainly my country is happy to take this opportunity of again paying
its tribute to him.
We have also seen the installation of his illustrious successor. By a
happy accident, it was during the month my delegation was presiding over
the Security Council that this Organization, under the name of my
delegation, sent the first warm invitation to Mr. Dag Hammarskjold, and
received in reply his modest response, fraught with, and weighed down by
the tremendous sense of responsibility which we are sure he feels.
Mr. Hammarskjold comes to this Organization at a time which may be
described, as the period of dilemmas. He comes at a time when the
engines of destruction and the instruments of killing, on the one hand,
are more deadly than the world has ever known before, and, on the other
hand, when there is a strong growing feeling and anguish for peace. He
also comes at a time when the world has become more fully aware than
ever in its history of the terrible economic disequilibrium that exists
in the world and is striving very hard and very anxiously, first of all,
to study the possible evil effects of that disequilibrium and, secondly,
to apply appropriate remedies and solutions.
 Mr. Hammarskjold knows very well that the hope of the world in this
Organization is growing every day. He also, I am sure, knows that those
who have pinned their hopes perhaps most of all to this Organization are
those who are not articulate in its halls today, and that millions of
people in the world have not yet found a voice within this Organization,
and yet they are the ones who hope this Organization will prove their
salvation.
I am perfectly sure that he is fully sensible of the tremendous task
that lies before this Organization, but, to compensate for all that may
I remind him that the desire of the world for the strengthening, the
development, and the betterment of this Organization was never greater.
Millions of people hope that in the times to come within these walls we
shall see peaceful revolutions taking place under the vigilance of the
world. They hope that new formulae of friendship and amity will be
evolved between stronger and weaker peoples.
I mention these things, not to depress him or ourselves. Indeed, the
choice of the world has fallen upon him because we know he will not be
depressed by these problems. The choice of the world has fallen upon him
because we know that these problems only quicken his eagnestness and
zeal in the task. Every illustrious man, who comes to occupy an exalted
office raises expectations in the world, and so does the appointment of
Mr. Hammarskjold. Expectations, I assure him, have been raised allover
the world, together with the supreme confidence that, at this point in
history, the world could hardly have made a better choice for the
leadership that the United Nations requires.
On behalf of my country, I wish him the greatest success in the
leadership which lies ahead of him for promoting world peace, world
welfare, world culture, and world equality. We wish him the best success
in his task. |
