Peace Gesture

After six frustrating years of trying to budge the roadblocks to world peace, Norway's Trygve Halvdan Lie resigned this week as Secretary-General of the United Nations. His reason: his fear that he himself has become a roadblock.

A sad-faced, meaty (220 Ibs.) carpenter's son, he became the U.N.'s first boss in February 1946, when the Big Five powers agreed on him as a compromise candidate. The Russians were his enthusiastic supporters then.

But on June 26, 1950, when he threw his weight behind the U.N.'s decision to resist Communist aggression in Korea, Trygve Lie became anathema to the Russians. After the U.N. extended his term until 1954 the Russians snubbed him at meetings, addressed all their communications to the Secretariat.

This week, with foreign ministers of all the Big Five powers present at the General Assembly, Lie announced his long-planned resignation, urged the big powers to agree on a successor quickly, and expressed hope that his quitting might smooth chances for a Korean ceasefire.

Possibilities for the job: the Philippines' Carlos Romulo, Mexico's Padilla Nervo. The reward: $20,000 tax-free salary, a big house and $20,000 for expenses.

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