The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-11-14
-H-
NezC York
nv JULIA BI.ANsHARD

New York.-How does q diplo-
mat occupy his time on shipboard,
when embarked on q mission that
means everything to his country?
Well, rotund, kindly-faced
Maxim Litvinoff did everything APP
parently but worry about the out
come of his visit here in the name
of Russian recognition.
He and, his two secretaries ate
every meal in the dining room, in
Guiding breakfast. They appeared
in dinner coats every night but
the last, in proper fashion, with
stiff collared shirts which many
|comfort-loving American men have
abandoned in favor of soft-collar-
ed ones, and black ties. Litvinoff
didn't dance, though he often
looked as If he would have en-
joyed doing SO.
He played chess with vari-
Gus and sundry passengers.
Arthur Garfield Hays, COnfid-
ed that LitvinOff doesn't play
an exceptional game OF chess
because he, Hays, beat him
one out Of two and they played
both games inside Of two
hours, which any good chess
player knows is quite speedy.
A Detective Story Fan
Litvinoff doesn't drink anything
but water, tea and coffee. He eats
one heavy meal a day and doesn't
seem to notice particularly what it
Is. He smokes a pipe while read
ing and puts on his horn-rimmed
spectacles for close work. He read
English books all the way over,
though he doesn't need to brush up
on his English, for he speaks it
perfectly, though with an accent,
having lived in London many
years. He admitted the all Rus
sion weakness for American detec-
tive stories and the last one he
finished aboard boat was Norman
Klein's "Avenging Angel"
Apparently there is nothing of
the aloof diplomat about Litvinoff.
Everybody on board testified to
the genial way he moved around
"just like any other passenger"
He spent several morning hours
watching the children in the play
room. He took walks around the
| though the presidential suite,
"AAASA AO OSSAPACAp utAo q OCCh $Ik
| its own.
One day a half dozen men gave
special Russian luncheon for Lit
vinoff, with an all-Russian menu
which Walter Duranty, who was
on board, planned with the chef.
At this, Litvinoff was the genial
guest, discussing European affairs
with the small group and gra-
ciously autoSraphing everybody's
menu afterwards. But he refused
point-blank to meet larger group
at cocktail party because they
asked him to talk to them about
his revolutionary activities.
UnruffIed by Interviewers
No foreign big-wig coming into
New York harbor ever met. the
onrush of newspaper reporters,
photographers and motion picture
men with more direct, simple,
unaffected manner than did Lit
vinoff. Backed against the wall
of the smoking room and thanked
by a half dozen huge U. S. secret
service men, whose eagle eyes kept
searching the crowd, Litvinoff was
totally unself-conscious, with a
touch Of simple, unaffected, child
like enjoyment that was genuinely
pleasing.
AS he gave his group interview,
he got worked up into a father,
and his CRAVING. hair, which is
quite sparse on top, curled up with
drops of moisture. His collar wilt
ed and he had to mop his face
often. But his round, chubby face
never lost its smile - not even
when they dragged him out on
deck and took more pictures of
him. He has one of the very
incest smiles, incidentally, that
anyone could have. 1t softens his
whole face, lights up his blue eyes
which have crinkly lines about
the corner and turns the corners
of his expressive mouth up just a
bit.
| In repose. he has a thoughtful,
rugged mien, but there is a human
gentleness about his expression
even when he is looking his most
serious.
confusion mean? Certainly not I'M
~