Evening star., 1947-04-27
Latin | Heads
IJ.N. Group
DR.. I Lopez Believes
Big Powers Can
Insure Peace
By Francis ". Carpenter

Z sP q : "a E5 8
LAKE SUCCESS. N. Y.-Dr
Alfonso Lopez, twice President Of
Colombia and a firm believer that
the big powers must get together
for world peace, will take over the
United Nations Security Council
helm ON May /.
~ Lopez, who looks like a banker,
which he has been, also is cham
pion Of the rights Of the small
nations.
He has fair for mediation which
most likely will be exhibited in the
81 days he will be president Of the
Security Council.
His Disarmament Plan.
With all Of his regard for the
standing of the small nations, Dr..
Lopez feels that the five great
powers, Britain, China, France, Rus
sia and the United States, ought to
show the way by agreement among
themselves.
He demonstrated this on two
occasions. With the vocal backing
of Brazil, he helped put through the
q. N. Commission for Conventional
Armaments resolution appointing
the delegates Of the big powers to
a subcommittee to draw up a work
plan for the body assigned the task
OF cutting world armaments. He
indicated that if the five could not
get together it was useless for the
little fellows to try.
Next, in a Security Council fight
over the Truman proposals to aid
Greece and Turkey, he suggested
that the United States, Britain
France and Russia look into the
possibility of settling matters in the
Balkans to preserve peace. Here
again was a tip to the big countries
to show the way to peace by agree
ment among themselves.
Kept Contact With U. S.
DR.. Lopez served Colombia as
President from 1884 to 1888 and
again from 1912 until his resigna-
ton in 1945.
Both m mis- strations were
marked by close contacts with the
United States. Before taking office
the second time, he toured the
United States and visited President
Roosevelt in the White House.
He resigned the presidency in
July, 1945, because, as he told the
Colombian Congress and people, he
could no longer count on the sup
port OF the national majority"
His friend, Alberto Lleras Ca
margo, Vice President and former
Minister of the Interior, served out
his term.
DR.. Lopez was born January 81
1885, in San Bartolome de las Pal
mas now known as Hondas), the
son. of wealthy banking family
His mother was his teacher until
the family moved to Bogota, capital
OF Colombia, where he was educated
by tutors and in private schools. He
went to Brighton College in Eng
land at the age Of Is and later at
tended commercial school in Neu
York City.
Founded Newspaper.
In 1910, DR.. Lopez joined group
OF friends in founding the Repub-
lican newspaper Ell Liberal, in 3D.
gotta. That newspaper continues as
the organ of Lopez liberal party.
He helped establish the American n
Mercantile Bank of Colombia and
served for a time as its president.
DR.. Lopez was appointed Colom-
bian Minister to London in 1890
after the liberals won the presi-
dency. In 1888 he was delegate to
the London Economic Conference
ana chairman Of the Colombian del
egation to the seventh Pan Amer
lean Conference at Montevideo.
Returning to Colombia, he was
made Foreign Minister.
While in the cabinet, he helped
solve a dispute between Colombia
and Peru over the Leticia border
and in 1884 he was elected Presi-
dent.
Between terms in the presidency
DR.. Lopez spent considerable time in
New York. He is the author of sew
eral books dealing with political and
diplomatic subjects.
He is tall, gray-haired and associ-
ates say he has a keen mind.
He has held his own in the tough
arena of the Security Council, where
Colombia has a seat until January
1s49.
DR.. Lopez will become Council
president under a rule which ro-
tates that position each month
among the members according to
their English alphabetical order.
distributed by the Associated Press)