Evening star., 1942-08-27
u. 5. Representatives in Russia
Praised for Exceptional Ability
Admiral Stond|ey ond Gen. Foymonve
Called Sound Thinkers and Good Speakers
Rx LELAND STOWE.

BY LELAND STOWE,
War Correspondent OF the Star and Chca 30
Daily News
MOSCOW. Aug. 27-At a time
when the closest understanding and
cooperation between Soviet Russia
and the United States Is unprece-
dentedly essential for the future
security of both nations, Americans
have the great good fortune to be
represented here by two men of ex-
ceptional caliber. One of these is
Admiral William H. Standley, United
States Ambassador to the u S. S. r.;
the other Is Brig. Gen. Philip Fay
knoxville, who is in charge of all
lease-lend supplies delivered to Rus
sia.
It happens that both the admiral
and the general are native Cali
fornians. BY a twist OF chance the
present American Ambassador to
Russia was born in Northern Cali
fornia on Russian river, which is SO
named in memory of the first Rus
sian settlement to be established on
North Americas Pacific Coast. Gen.
Faymonville's home is in San Fran
cisco.
These two men have several ex-
tremely important things in COM
mon: They like Russians; they
think before they speak and say
exactly what they mean; they have
4 profound respect for the Soviet
army and for the sacrifices of the
Russian people-and they are as
American as Will Rogers or oyster
stew.
There has never been a period in
the history of Russo American re-
lations when it would have been SO
disastrous as at present If the chiefs
of our missions here were either
mediocrities or stuffed shirts which
means that there has never been a
time when the American pople SO
urgently needed the best possible
representation here.
Plenty Of Common Sense.
Accordingly, it is rare pleasure to
be able to report that Americans
can be proud and have every conf
dence In their Ambassador and in
the chief of our military mission IN
Moscow. The longer American cor
respondents observe things here the
more they are convinced that Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Army Chief OF
Staff Gen. George c. Marshall made
some of their most astute selections
when appointing the wartime chiefs
Of the mission to Russia.
During my 16 years as foreign
correspondent I have known a good
many American Ambassadors who
were political appointments. Most
of them were ordinary or downright
poor, and very few were anything
to write home about. But in the
few months he has been in Russia
1t has become very plain that Ad-
miral Standley's appointment was
In no sense political but based on
merit and national interest. When
President Roosevelt chose the man
who, with himself, was chiefly re-
sponsible for fighting for approprla-
tions to build a Navy of wartime
strength he sent to Russia as Am
bassador a man of very broad ex-
perience. who sees this war in world
wide terms and worldwide strategy
"a frosty eyebrowed seadog with
an unusual amount Of common
sense.
Admiral Standley has both feet
on the deck; he understands what
is at stake in this war, and he un-
derstands human beings. He ap-
preciates especially fighting leader
ship and fighting people. He Is a
quiet-spoken man who can be as
blunt as any occasion may justify.
The Russians have already discov-
cred that the admiral is plain, home
spun stuff; that he has a wise head
on his shoulders and understands
what the word Ally implies.
1t is the general feeling among
American correspondents here that
there will be few wartime American
Ambassadors who will render more
valuable service to their country
than Admiral Standley is doing.
Judged Red Army Correctly.
The same also applies to Gen
Faymonville. He, too, is She mar
for the job. There is a story thai
soon after the Germans invaded
Russia President Roosevelt reac
some reports from the War Depart
ment's files and exclaimed: where!
that man Faymonville?" AS sooI
rs the President found him Fay.
knoxville was rushed OF to Russis
why? Because Faymonville, the