Tunisian Delegate Who Snubbed Golda Meir Fails to Become U.N. Chief

Tunisian delegate Mongi Slim who, as president of the United Nations General Assembly snubbed Israel’s Foreign Minister Golda Meir at a reception by President Kennedy, was reported here today as having lost all chances of becoming the successor of the late Dag Hammarskjold as Acting Secretary General of the United Nations–a post to which he aspired.

Instead, it was indicated that this post would go to U Thant, permanent representative of Burma at the UN. The Burmese delegate was reported to have been assured by both the Arab bloc and the Russians that they would not oppose him personally for the top UN Secretariat job despite his government’s known friendliness toward Israel and the West.

Under the plans as they stand now, there would be six undersecretaries but none of them is to have a veto over final decisions by the Secretary General. The six would include: an American, Dr. Ralph J. Bunche; a Russian, Georgy P. Arkadev; an African, preferably from the sub-Sahara region, as yet unnamed; a Latin American, not yet definitely decided upon although Dr. Francisco Urrutia, of Colombia, has been mentioned; a West European, Pier Pasquale Spinelli, an Italian; and one other as yet unidentified.

Mr. Slim is said to have been offered tone of the under secretary ships but, reportedly, he has refused to accept anything but the top Job. Israel has objected strenuously to Mr. Slim because both he and his Government are out-and-out pro-Arab and anti-Israel. The Arab and the Soviet blocs, unhappy about the Burmese Government’s close relations with Israel, are nevertheless willing to place faith in U Thant personally when he should have to deal with Arab-Israeli or East-West disputes.