Show Russian Eig Enigma a Illustrated ll I Boris has gone home He 1 was a member of the staff of Tass official Soviet news agency stationed stationed sta sta- for tor some three years in Washington So far as I have been able to learn leam his American contacts which were many both official and personal personal per per- personal made not a single ideological impact upon him or his way of thinking He upheld the Russian cause he talked more freely than most Russians in a semi-official semi or official capacity do but also so far faras faras faras as I can learn he never offered the slightest compromise of viewpoint view viewpoint view view- point never accepted any argument argument ment or explanation of democratic American style American style methods of thought or action And yet and here Is the thing that baffled most of us ushe ushe us- us ushe he was well liked he was good company and if we could have found the tiniest peg on which to hang an Idea he would have inspired us to write about Russia Rus nus- ala sia with a heart as a Russian Rus Riis- sian woman interpreter is reported reported reported re re- re- re I ported to have begged of Sam Welles Times Time's correspondent In Moscow l We wonder about Boris We would have liked so much to sit down and talk frankly and freely with him about the common problems problems lems and the still more common misunderstandings between our countries Was he able to appear so genial and friendly and charming because he held such high rank at home that he wasn't afraid to consort consort con con- sort as far as personal matters went vent as a trusting friend Was he so deeply indoctrinated In hi the ideology of Marxism Lenin ism Stalinism that he was filled with pity rather than the typical suspicion which seems to permeate most Russian American relations relations' One slight clue we have though it may be a false one Once at a rather intimate gathering hostess finally grew a little tient and said something like this Listen here Boris were we're friends Surel Surely you can be frank with us and explain why your government government govern govern- ment meat Before she could finish he guessed what was coming he held up his hand Please be he said with a disarming disarming disarming dis dis- dis- dis I arming smile that took the sting out of his words We are having such sueh a pleasant time but you force me to say this I cannot explain what you wish because you people arc are just too stupid to understand If It that sentiment Is a sincere and typical expression of how the men who run Russia feel teel the road ahead is a rocky one one Kipling once put into verse the problem he felt the foreigner faced in trying to understand understand under under- stand the American What he said might be applied to Russia Inopportune shrill accented the acrid static mirth that leaves leates him careless mid his bis dead the scandal l loj oj of the elder cider earth How flow shall he be clear clea himself how bow reach your OU bar or weighed defense prefer a refer a brother hedged with alien s speech e ch and lacking all al interpreter reter |