The thirty-eighth floor of the U.N. Secretariat building, though it perches high over the East River, is hardly a setting of which dreams are made. No fairy-tale castle tower this, but a practical beige and green cocoon in which some of the most important work in the world gets done. Teak and "Scandinavian modern" are much in evidence, a legacy from the Hammarskjöld years.

I was briefed by Press Secretary André Lewin before my interview with Kurt Waldheim and took that opportunity, to ask some questions about the Secretary-General. What are Mr. Waldheim's avocations, if any? He adores the opera, said Lewin, and would love to go when he is in New York, but he just hasn't any time. The Waldheims have a country retreat in Connecticut which they are able to visit from time to time on weekends.