"A Man with Guts"

Last November pretty, blonde Guri Lie showed her father a report in a Norwegian newspaper that he might become secretary of UNO. Big, bluff Trygve Lie (pronounced TRIG-va Lee) boomed: "What is this? Why do they suggest me?" Trygve Lie knew that they would not pick him for his suavity (nil), for his international experience (limited), or for his brain (good, but not dazzling). Last week UNO, a more rugged organization than anyone expected, picked rugged Trygve Lie for character.

A top U.S. diplomat appraised Lie as "a man with guts; no political or other culture; not the ideal man; but the best available, since it finally had to be a European." Old-style diplomats found him uncouth but impressive, "a rough diamond." The difference between Lie and smooth, aristocratic Sir Eric Drummond, first Secretary General of the League of Nations, might mark the difference between UNO and the League.

Trygve Lie was the son of a plain carpenter of Gruenerloekken, an Oslo workers' suburb. He became a union lawyer, for over 20 years held his own in the rough & tumble of Norway's Labor politics. When the Germans invaded Norway, Lie, as Minister of Supply and Shipping, ordered the merchant marine into Allied ports, then fled with the Norwegian Government on a British battleship. Later his buxom wife Hjoerdis and his three daughters joined him in London, where he embarked on a new career--diplomacy.

He impressed the British, though they think he talks too much when indulging his fondness for good company and good wine. At the San Francisco conference Lie talked himself out of voice, whispered on in four languages (Norwegian, English, German, a little Russian).

Sham Battle. For the key post of Secretary General of UNO, the U.S. delegation had first put forward the name of Canada's Lester B. ("Mike") Pearson, though they knew the Russians would not stand for a North American. The Russians advanced the names of two obscure eastern Europeans, although they knew the U.S. would not accept a Soviet stooge. Lie was the serious candidate of both the Americans and the Russians, although each thought the other would object to him.

After nearly three weeks of maneuvering in the dark, U.S. Delegate Edward R. Stettinius called a Big Five meeting, tossed Lie's name in as a "compromise candidate." Britain's Bevin said it was well worth considering, but he would like to consult his Government. Vishinsky, recalling criticism of long delays while Moscow thought problems over, voted a loud and prompt yes. In the General Assembly only three votes were cast against Lie.

Bubbling with happiness, Norwegian Labor's Lie joined Belgian Labor's Spaak and Australian Labor's Makin in UNO's high command. Lie called a press conference, waved his arms at the reporters, bellowed: UNO will be bigger, stronger, sounder than the League of Nations ever was.

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