The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-10-02

Steinhardt is purely and person.
ally the Presidents choice, as the
Ambassador himself, makes quite
clear when he meets non-diplo-
mats. I'm just an American
businessman" he says with modest
self-deprecation. But when he Is
among State Department people,
the tune is likely to be, "Of course
I'm practically o career man, hav-
ing been in the service for ten
vars"
Thanks to q 5000 campaign
contribution and his uncle, Stein
hardt's diplomatic star got hitched
to the Roosevelt band wagon dur
ing the elections Of 1882, and has
stayed hitched ever since. His
uncle, Sam Untermyer, had known
Roosevelt ever since he grew up
in New York politics, and nephew
Larry Steinhardt was promptly
made U. s. Minister to Sweden.
A lot Of people welcomed the
appointment at the time. A lot Of
people remarked that new blood
was being pumped into the diplo-
matte service. Steinhardt was q
young New York lawyers with a
fresh outlook and was expected to
go places. On the surface he has.
He has been promoted from Min
lister to Sweden to Ambassador to
Peru, then ambassador to Russia,
then Ambassador to Turkey - his
career being punctuated with hat
contributions to the Democratic
campaign chest.
IN OTHER PEOPLES HAIR
But beneath this ambassadorial
facade, Steinhardt has fallen into
all the petty ways Of professional
diplomats. He has tried hard.
He has worked long hours. He
has secured reamS Of publicity. He
has boosted that he has been able
to do what other diplomats can
not do - live on $17,500 salary.
But when 1t comes to running a
streamlined Embassy or contribute
ing to the peace and well-being
of the world, Steinhardt has chief
ly succeeded in getting In other
peoples hair.
Typical Of his operations was
q 2,OOO-wOrd coded cable sent
from Moscow Oct. 5, 1910, re- Oh
ceived by the State Department
at $3.50 a. m. telling why he was
not going to admit Polish and
Baltic refugees Of his own re-
ligiOus faith into the United
States. He cOuold have con-
densed the cable to 100 words.
Or, again, when he ordered ty-
plus serum from the United States
and suspected 1t was being held
up in Cairo, Steinhardt frantically
wired U. s. Ambassador Alexander
Kirk in Egypt to experite the
shipment. When the unperturbed
Kirk did not reply Immediately.
Steinhardt informed hint hat he
would call a press conference and
tell the newspapers why the u s..
Embassy staff in Turkey twas
threatened with death in the ty-
plus plague"
Ambassador Kirk refused to be
Stampeded.
Through some whim of fate,
Steinhardt usually lands In a key
country at time when its policy
vitality affects the world. He was
Ambassador to Russia during that
difficult period from 1899 to 1941
between the Stain Hitler alliance
and the time Russia was invaded.
This was a tough assignment.
Nobody could have done much to
improve Russian-American rela-
tons at that time, and eventually
the manner in which the Russians
trailed the u. s. Ambassador
around Moscow got very much on
his nerves, and he on theirs. In
the end they limited that new
ambassador might be welcome.
sWAYING NEUTRAL TURKEY
so Steinhardt went to Turkey.
There he had q great opportunity.
Neutral Turkey was the key to
victory IN the Balkans. At one
time she could have swung the
nearneGs 10 me which Is sometimes
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