Exit the Bad Malik

In the United Nations last week, the bad Malik/- said No for what was probably the last time. In an hour-long speech sputtering with the standard invective, he announced Russia's complete rejection of the five-power disarmament talks proposed last month by the U.S., Britain and France. He also took a sideswipe at Ike Eisenhower, who, claimed Malik, has "a mad armament race as his platform."

As Russia's chief delegate to the U.N. since 1948, Malik has rivaled even his predecessor Gromyko for plain cussedness (52 vetoes), false charges (germ warfare) and phony offers (the Korean truce). In 1950 he became a TV character as familiar as Hopalong Cassidy, and brought the voice and face of the enemy into the American living room. Last week, Malik was being recalled from his U.N. post for "rest and re-assignment." (Best guess: a high post in the Kremlin's Far East Department.) Asked about his new duties, Malik said only: "There is no unemployment in my country."

At the U.N., the bad Malik's place will be taken by a man who promises to be no better: Valerian Aleksandrovich Zorin, 50, who earned his greatest diplomatic laurels as Soviet Ambassador to Prague from 1945 to 1947. U.S. Intelligence men credit him with supervising the Communist seizure of Czechoslovakia. For his services, he was awarded the Czech Order of the White Lion. U.S. diplomats remember him principally for his appearance at a 1947 session of the United Nations' Economic Commission for Europe, where he stubbornly opposed every American plan to bring aid to war-devastated areas.

But "apart from all this," said an expert on Russia recently, "Mr. Zorin is a pleasant man."

/- Russia's Jacob Malik, not to be confused with Lebanon's good Charles Malik.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.