Evening star., 1941-12-07
Nine. Litvinoff, Born
In British Nobility,
Known as Novelist
Mission Here Will Be
Her First os Wife
Of Ambassador
BY RUTH COWAN,
Uids World NeuS


to go up on the new scene CT Life
at the Red Embassy"
That scene will begin when a
woman born into the British. nobll-
ity takes over as official hostess for
the proletariat at an imposing gray
stone mansion that a great Ameri-
can fortune built.
She is Ivy Low Litvinoff. wife of
Maxim Litvinoff. the Soviets new
Ambassador to the United States
and deputy foreign commissar ir'
his homeland. They are due to
arrive in the capital today.
Ivy Low. the name by which she
Is known in American literary cir
cles has ink in her blood.
She is the daughter of the late
Sir Walter Low. British scholar.
Her mother. the former Agnes Her
bert. was a novelist and critic. She
is the niece of Sir Sidney Low. noted
historian. who wrote "Governance
of England Another uncle. Sir
Maurice Low. was former WASH
inc.on correspondent for the Lon
don Morning Post. She is a cousin
of the wife of Anthony Eden, Brit
aims foreign secretary.
Praised by Masefield.
It was natural that Ivy Low
should write She is the author
of The GhaStly Beast" a novel
praised by John Masefield, Britain's
poet laureate. III recent years she
has made English translations of
Russian childrens stories, which
have been published in this country.
Nine. Litvinoff is not only wom-
an of culture but one of charm
and personality. She is considered
striking in appearance. Her pic
lures are those of a woman with
strong clear-cut features. There is
intelligence. warmth and wit in her
expression. Her hair is now gray
ing.
She has the courage required Tor
adventure-she proved it when she
took the step from a conventional
English drawing room 10 the role OF
wife of 4 foremost revolutionary in
the 20th century Russian political
experiment. She and Mr.. Litvinof
were married in 1916.
There are details yet to be filled
out in Ivy Lows romance with the
hero out of a Russian revolutionary
novel. but it is not unlikely that she
met Mr. Litvinoff through their mu-
tual interest in writing.
In calm phase of his career. Mr..
fltvinoff edited A legal newspaper
in 1906 in St. Petersburg now Lenin-
grad. Involved in revolutionary
intrigues. he was forced shortly aft
ervard 70 fee the country and
eventually reached England. There
for about 10 years ne was a pub
lisher's clerk by day and political
philosopher by night.
First Envoy to Britain.
The Russian revolution of 1917
brought him reward for his years Of
work He was appointed first Soviet
Ambassador to Great Britain. But
that did not open diplomatic doors
for Mr.. Litvinoff and his wife. The
Court of St. James was not ready
to receive representative OF the
Bolsheviks
But Litvinoff remained in Eng
land, denounced IN the press and
under almost constant surveillance.
In 1918 when Bruce Lockhart, Brit
ish consul-general at Moscow, was
arrested as an agent-provocateur
Iitvinoff was seized as a hostage.
Within a few weeks arrangements
we're made for exchange of the two
diplomats, and Litvlnoff was per-
n1itted to leave England With him
end into land of chance went his
wife
Lenin thon commissioned him the
first SOV.C. Ambassador to the
United States-but he has had 70
wait % years to present his Gre
dentlalS
Meanwhile he was busy IN Europe
thawlng the diplomatic ice. He was
Soviet foreign commiSsar for nearly
a decade until 1889 when Europe
again broke out in flames.
During these years. and especially
while he was head of the Russian
Foreign Office. his wife was hostess
At many important diplomatic
events. some as brilliant as those
held in her native land
Taught in Russia.
Nine. LitvinOff also found time
for her educational interests. She
encouraged the Russians to study
English and she taught the subjects
in Russian universities.
Two children were born to them.
She took the Youngsters on vaca-
tions to England and to France.
In 1888 Litvincff came to Wash
tngton to negotiate this Country's
recognition Of Soviet Russia, a goal
for which he had worked for Is
years. From the White House he
phoned his wife in London.
This time he is bringing her with
HIM to help him carry through that
long-agO assignment. The trip here
is in itself new adventure for Nine.
Lltvinoff They have flown nearly
three-quarters around the world to
reach their new home.
The house over which Nine. Lit
vinoff will preside is a many-room.
three-StOry structure on fashionable
Sixteenth street, an avenue of i'm
posing embassies and legations. It
was built in 1910 by Mrs. George M.
Pullman, widow of the sleeping car
magnaje. but she never lived there
1t served as the Russian Embassy
for the CZarist government for sew
eral years before the revolution of
March. 1917 It was thcn taken over
by the Kerensky provisional govern
ment. which was officially recognized
by the United States for five years
From 1922 until this country'S
recognition of the Soviet Union the
mansion stood vacant. When the
Soviets reopened it in 1894 it was
sumptuously refurnished. but the
orders to the decorators we're to
keep it much as it was in the days
of the Cars gold braid.
House of LUXURY.
Nine. Litvinoff will find herself in
q dwelling of Oriental rugs. red
Carpet-covered stairs. handsome
draperieS. In the chests are heavy