The future development of the United Nations

While it seems likely that Dag Hammarskjold will bear up under recent Soviet attacks and will serve out the remaining two years of his term, the pattern of broad political initiatives recently undertaken by the Secretary-General is almost certainly due for a substantial change. The third chapter in the life of the United Nations, the Period of the Secretary-General, is being interrupted, if not transformed, by the Soviet assault. The nature of the Soviet attack suggests that the next period in UN's history will be characterized by a basic struggle for control of the organization. The tactics are certain to be rougher than in previous years. The competition will be for keeps-for the dominant voice in a political and administrative instrument now believed by both the United States and the U.S.S.R. to be of major diplomatic importance. It will, I believe, be the most significant period to date in the life of the United Nations. It is likely to usher in several mutations in the development of international organization. The growth of an institution never fits a neat pattern of classification. But for purposes of general analysis we can refer to a first chapter in UN's life, extending from its founding in 1945 to the beginning of the Korean War, as the Period of the Security Council. It was characterized by an effort to make the United Nations work as it was originally conceived. The second period, from 1950 to Mr. Hammarskjold's visit to the Middle East in April, 1956, can be called the Period of the General Assembly. It was symbolized by the Uniting for Peace Resolution. The West still retained a safe working majority in the Assembly. The admission of 16 new states into mem

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