Evening star., 1939-05-14

1He SOVlel government, since the 1918
revolution, has placed great stress on the
importance of youth in the life of the
state. Young men In their twenties now
sit at official desks once occupied by
graybeards. Age, Joseph Stain believes,
belongs to the dead Czarst past
Therefore, it was quite in keeping with
Soviet policy when, few days ago, the
Russian government announced the ap-
pointment of 37-year -old Constantine
Alexandrovitch Oumansky as its Ambas-
sador to the United States. AS such. he
becomes the youngest chief of major
diplomatic mission in Washington, and,
in fact, one of the most youthful ENJOYS
ever to represent foreign power in the
Capital.
Mr.. Oumansky is we'll known here,
having served as counsellor of the en-
bassy under Ambassador Alexander A.
TToyanovsky since 1886 Since last June
when his chief returned to Moscow Mr..
OumanSky has been charge daffaires of
the mission. His elevation to the rank
OF Ambassador. consequently, merely for
malizes position in which he has been
aCIlVe Tor nearly a year.
Although the Soviet government asked
and received of the State Department
agreement to Mr.. Oumansky's appoint
ment several weeks ago, there was some
delay in the announcement of his pro-
motion. This presumably was caused
by the internal shake-up in the Soviet
foreign Office earlier this month when
Commissar Maxim NJ Litvinoff was re
leased and his duties were taken over
by Premier v. " Molotoff. The new
envoy long has been a protege of Lit
vinoff and some observers here believed
that the revolution in the foreign office
might result in Moscow's suggesting an
other Ambassador But Mr.. Oumansky,
presumably, had still other friends in the
kremlin. Lazar Kaganovitch, commits
sar OF war industries and one of Stains
closest associates, for instance has long
been friendly toward the Youthful dip
lomat.
Contrast to Predecessor.
Mr.. Oumansky presents many marked
contrasts to his immediate predecessor.
Mr.. Troyanovsky.
Mr.. Troyanovsky, although long a
member of the Communist party. had
deep cultural and intellectual roots in
prerevolutlonary soil. Son of a promi-
nent family, he was a graduate of the
Czarist Military Academy and served as
Russian officer in the Russo-Japanese
war. He was polished, sophisticated,
urbane, quiet of voice and manner. He
was with, but not of, Russias new leaders.
The new envoy, contrarily, is typical
OF the men who now are coming into
power in the Soviet hierarchy. Born of
obscure parents in Nikolaev in 1902. Mr..
Oumansky was educated in public schools
and later in the University of Moscow
in the early post-revolutionary DAYS,
when old educational landmarks were
being destroyed and radical theories of
teaching and student dicipline were
being tried out. Thus he is essentially
a product of the revolution, thoroughly
lmbued with the doctrines of Marx,
Lenin and Stain.
Journalism and politics caught young
Oumansky's imagination and after leav-
ing the university he became editor of
the magazine Iskusstvo (Art). He left
his quiet editorial chair soon, however,
for the more active life of a foreign
correspondent. The Soviet official news
agency, Tass, sent him to Rome and
later to Paris as its correspondent. While
stationed in these posts in the late 192Os,
he frequently was sent on special assign
ment to the League of Nations in Geneva
Much Time at Geneva.
In those days Litvinoff was spending
great part of his time in Geneva in
connection with the meetings of the
preparatory commission for the World
Disarmament Conference. 1t was dur
ing this period that Mr.. Oumansky came
to know we'll the man who later was so
helpful in forwarding his diplomatic
career.