Kissinger’s Use of Force Statement Rapped by Waldheim, 2 Congressmen

Secretary General Kurt Waldheim has rebuked Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger for his remarks in a Business. Week interview published last week that the United States would not rule out the use of force to secure Middle East oil sources in a situation of “gravest emergency,” A UN spokesman quoted the Secretary General today as saying that he is “against the use of force in current or future situations arising from the energy crisis.” The spokesman added that Waldheim’s position “is in line with the UN Charter,” implying that Kissinger’s position was not.

Waldheim made his remarks, according to the UN spokesman, in reply to questions by reporters in Barbados where the Secretary General was on an official visit at the time the Business Week interview was published. Waldheim returned to New York Saturday. The spokesman said that the Secretary General has repeatedly emphasized that “cooperation and not confrontation” must be the means to solve the energy crisis.

Kissinger was also strongly criticized yesterday by two Democratic Congressmen for saying that U.S. military force might be used if Arab oil policies were strangling the industrialized world. John Brademas of Indiana, chief deputy Democratic whip in the House, said in an interview on NBC-TV “Meet the Press” program that Kissinger’s statement did not serve any useful purpose. “I think it was unwise,” he said. “I think it was unwarranted. I do not think it was a responsible statement.” Henry Reuse of Wisconsin said on CBS-TV “Face the Nation” program that the Secretary’s remark was immoral. “I think Dr. Kissinger slipped and I hope he will recover.”

SCOTT DEFENDS KISSINGER

However, Senate Republican leader Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania told the ABC-TV “Issues and Answers” program yesterday that too much was being made of Kissinger’s statement, “although I think it was entirely right that he should have said it in that context and I have told him so.” Scott said he could not imagine the U.S. not doing whatever it needed to do, either economic ally or militarily, for survival. He emphasized, however, “I cannot conceive of this happening 99 out of 100 circumstances.”

Kissinger’s statement, released last Thursday, was circulated officially that day by the State Department to correspondents. The White House withheld immediate comment on the Secretary’s statement but finally said Saturday that Kissinger “did reflect the President’s views” when he warned in the magazine that the U.S. would resort to force to secure Mideast oil sources “in the gravest emergency.”