TIME

January 22, 1945 12:00 AM GMT-4

The Russian Ambassador’s mood was almost as black as caviar. As for U.S. Ambassador George S. Messersmith, it was doubtful whether he had had any idea, when he accepted Constantine Oumansky’s invitation, that their lunch would be so dramatic. The Soviet Ambassador was hopping mad. He resented recent articles in the U.S. press which represented Russia’s Mexico City Embassy as headquarters for an army of Soviet agents flitting around Latin America.

Down on the luncheon table Ambassador Oumansky plumped his ambassadorial payroll. It listed five full-time diplomats, two military attaches, 18 miscellaneous employes, including chauffeur and servants. Then Oumansky insisted that Ambassador Messersmith make a solemn inspection of the Embassy. The old Parada mansion, though roomy and pretentious, was obviously not big enough to house hundreds of agents.

Ambassador Oumansky might have spared himself the trouble. Secret agents could not have been the cause of the recent increase of Russian influence in Mexico and the rest of Latin America. He had worked hard, skillfully and effectively to raise Soviet prestige in Mexico. His great success had been due in part to his personal ability, in part to Red Army victories, in part to the desire (widespread in Latin America) to find a counterpoise to the U.S. (A fortnight ago seven Latin American governments at long last recognized Russia.)

Messersmith’s U.S. Embassy in Mexico, which is not notably effective or popular, listed at last report 205 employes on its pay roll, with over 500 more under its control.

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