A curious little story, casting an instructive light on Russian
diplomatic methods, is told by the United Nations correspondent of the Manchester Guardian. At a very interesting fortnight's dis- cussion by a certain sub-commission on the Freedom of the Press Russia was represented by a Mr. Jacob Lomakin, Russian Consul- General in New York. Mr. Lomakin was genial and forthcoming in a way few Russians are ; he was attended by no one but a woman secretary ; he took a useful part in the discussions and even went so far one day as to remark, " We don't need to be consulting Moscow all the time." A view so enlightened attracted public atten- tion and comment—and also official attention. Two days later Mr. Lomakin appeared " with two squat taciturn Russians, who looked like fugitives from the unsmiling bodyguard that enclosed Mr. Molotov in San Francisco." They enclosed Mr. Lomakin effectively. They passed him little notes while he was speaking. In twenty-four hours he was a different Mr. Lomakin, in fact a perfect Mr. Lornakin- Molotov, hectoring, objecting, opposing, obstructive. Russian diplomacy, recovered completely from its lapse, was pursuing its accustomed methods unaltered.
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