Evening star., 1941-09-17
Venezuela S Lincoln
Arrives in Capital
For Six.Day Visit
Gen. Lopez Contreros,
Retired President, to Be
Received at White House

Gen. Eleazar Lopez Contreras,
known as the Abraham Lincoln Of
Venezuela, arrived here today for
six-day visit, during which Presi-
dent Roosevelt will receive him at
the White House.
A large number of high officials,
indicating the esteem in which Gen.
Lopez Contreras is held in WASH
ington, greeted him at Union Station
on his arrival from New York.
The general was President of
Venezuela from April, 1896, to April,
194l, and during those five years he
brought his country out of the dis
orderly dictatorial depths into which
it had sunk in 27 years. When Gen.
Lopez Contreras got of the train he
made this statement to the press:
II have much satisfaction in Wis
iting this great democracy and in
having the opportunity to see for
myself the great advance 1t Is max
ing culturally and in other fields"
First Visit to U. S.
The general was slightly pale,
showing the rigors of his presi-
dency, during which the threat of
assassination was ever present. He
is a thin, bespectacled, hawk-nosed
man of medium height with trim
little mustache. He is So
This is his first visit to the United
States. His wife greeted one by one
the women in the welcoming party
on the station platform with an en-
brace and kiss on each cheek.
The general is associated in the
Venezuelan mind with Abraham
Lincoln because he liberated the
Venezuelan people from decades Of
political oppression suffered under
Gen. Juan Vincente Gomez and
Gomez's predecessor. Cipriano Cas-
tro. The general will visit Arling-
ton Cemetery this afternoon.
Berle Heads Delegation.
Adolf A. Berle, jr., Assistant Sec
retary of State. headed the list Of
American officials who greeted the
retired President. George Summer
lin, chief of protocol. State Depart
ment, who knew the general in Ven
ezuela when he was Minister there
from 1881 to 1895, and Philip Bon
sal, acting chief of the Division of
American Republics, State Depart
ment, also met him.
Gen. Sherman Miles, assistant
chief of staff, U. S. A, represented
Gen. George Marshall, chief of staff
on the official welcoming committee
Capt Howard D. Brode, U. S. N.
acting director of naval intelligence
represented the Navy Department.
The Navy assigned Maj. E. ]
O'Shea. U. S. M. c., and the Army
assigned Mai. Theodore Babbitt. U
S. A., to act as the visitors aides dur
ing his stay here. The general ano
Sonora de Lopez Contreras will be
the guests of the Venezuelan Am
baSsador and Sonora de Escalante
during their visit here. He expects
to leave Washington on Monday
for Saratoga Springs, N. Y. Ambas-
sador Escalante. his wife and their
daughter, Maria Teresa, and the
whole staff of the Venezuelan EN-
bassy. including the wives of the
members of the staff, met the train
Ecuadorian Ambassador Alfaro
and Alberto Vargas Nanino, first
secretary of the Colombian Embassy
and DR.. Leo Rowe, director of the
Pan-American Union, assisted in the
welcoming party.
Busy Schedule Arranged.
A busy schedule has been arranged
for the general. After his visit to
Arlington at o'clock this afternoon
he was to be guest of honor at
a reception by the Venezuelan
Embassy.
Tomorrow morning he will go to
the State Department and probably
see Secretary Hull At noon tomor-
row he will call at the White House
to see Mr.. Roosevelt; at 8 pm. he
will see Vice President Wallace, and
at pm. he will be guest at recep-
ton by the Chilean Ambassador.
Friday morning he will speak to
military men at the War Depart
ment. The British Ambassador has
arranged a luncheon for him Friday
At $50 pm. Friday, Gen Marshall
will hold a reception for him at Fort
Myer and at 8 pm. Mr.. Berle will
give him dinner Saturday morn
ing he is to 60 to the Pan-American
Union. The Colombian Ambassador
will give luncheon on Saturday
and at 8 pm. Saturday Secretary
Hull will give him a dinner.
On Monday the general will visit
the Naval Academy at Annapolis
and the University of Maryland
Five thousand honey bees weighed