Evening star., 1946-01-30
1rygve Lie Accepts
Nomination for UN0
Secretary General
By GOULD LINCOLN,
Star Staff Correspondent


cepted nomination as secretary gen.
eral of the United Nations, it wa.
announced here early today, ane
only approval by the General AS.
sembly remains. Assembly actor
Is expected to be a mere formality
The Assembly Is expected to meet
Friday and act on Mr.. Lie at thai
time. His new post pays $40, 900 SAL
ary and $4,000 expenses. Mr.. Lie
has been conferring with his gov
ernment in Oslo over the week enc
and Is expected to return to London
late today, AS soon as the Assembly
acts Mr.. Lie will assume his new
duties.
Through diplomatic channels /,
was learned that the Norwegian
government would give its approval
to Mr.. Lies service as secretary
general of the UNO, although it is
reluctant to lose his services.
u. s. Took Lead for Lie.
The United States through its
representative in the Security Coun-
Gil, Edward r. Stettinius, jr., took
the initiative in bringing about Mr.
Lies nomination by the Security
Council.
1t was Mr.. Stettinius who pro-
posed Mr.. Lie at conference of the
five permanent members of the Sc
cupty Council called by him Mon
day night, and it was Mr.. Stettinius
who reported for the Big Five in
support of Mr.. Lie at a meeting of
the entire membership of the Coun-
Gil last night, when the Council
unanimously approved the Nor
wegian.
Mr.. Stettinius first ascertained
that Soviet Russia would not ac-
cepf Ambassador Lester Pearson of
Canada for this post, since Mr.. Pear
son, the American delegations first
choice for secretary general, could
not be nominated without Russia s
VIE
The decision was made to put for
ward Mr.. Lie, who all along had
been acceptable to the United States.
Indeed, approximately a week ago
the American delegation had de-
termined to favor Mr.. Lie if Mr.
Pearson was out.
No Victory for Russia.
In spite of an inclination in some
quarters to regard the nomination
Of Mr.. Lie as victory for Soviet
Russia, it is fact that at no time
was Mr.. Lie advanced by Russia
as candidate for secretary gen.
eral. In the meetings of the Big
Five and of the Council, at which
the situation had been canvassed,
Russia had put forward a Yugoslav
and a Pole
Mr.. Lie, it is predicted, will fill
the Office to which he has been
nominated as an independent UNO
agent uninf1uenced in his decisions
by either the nations of Eastern or
Western Europe. He has been For
eign Minister of Norway for years
and has had wide experience in in
ternational affairs.
The vote for Mr.. Lie in the Sc
curity Council last night was unani-
NOUS. 1t was taken by secret writ
ten ballot. Since there was only
one name to be voted on the vote
was yes or no after a brief dis
cussion in which general approval
OF Mr.. Lie was expressed.
The secretary general is the chief
administrative officer Of the new
organization and to him Is intrusted
the duty of picking his assistants
and staff. 1t is expected he will
name seven principal assistants. In
addition under the Charter it Is the
duty of the secretary general to
bring to the attention of the Sc
curity Council any matter which in
his opinion may threaten the main
tenance of peace and international
security.
He will act as secretary general
for the General Assembly, the Sc
curity Council, the Economic and
Social Council and the Trusteeship
Council.
Early Adjournment Looms.
Selection of a secretary general,
regarded as one of the most difficult
items on the agenda Of the present
meeting, paves the way to an early
adjournment of the Assembly
meeting.
Outside of acting on a number of
reports from committees, the two
remaining tasks of the Assembly at
this organization meeting are the
selection of site for permanent
and temporary home of the United
Nations in the United States, and
the election of the IS members of
the International Court of Justice.
The special committee on site
which has been looking over the
situation in the United States is ex-
pected to return and make its re-
port by Friday. This report, it is
understood, will recommend a half
dozen sites, three in the New York
area and three in the Boston area.
Obviously New York or Boston will
be the temporary home of the UNO,
depending on which area the AS
sembly finally picks for a perma-
nent home.
British Favor Hyde Park.
The United States delegation is
maintaining hands-off policy In
the selection of the homesite. Hyde
Park is one of the sites in the New
York area and is understood to be
favored by the British. 1t is the
contention of the American dele
CATION that as soon as the site has
been chosen the secretariat, the
Security Council and the Economic
and Social Council should move
without delay to the United States.
Mr.. Stettinius, it is understood,
will recommend the prompt ap-
pointment of the atomic energy
commission-authorized by the AS
sembly-and its establishment at
the homesite in the United States
1t is the opinion here that the sec
ond@ half of this meeting of the
General Assembly, originally slated
to take place in the United States
In April, will be postponed until
after the peace conference, which
is to be held in Paris in Nov