The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-05-14

wrapped in enigma - tall, dark and taciturn.
 He is younger than nearly all the other heads of missions here, being only 37. That would make him only nine years old at the time of the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, so he has grown up under Communism. He Is career diplomat, and ap- parently good one in Russian eyes, for he has been awarded the Order of Lenin - highest civilian decora- tion given by the Moscow govern ment - for the job he has done in Washington in the past six years.
 Gromyko's public utterances since he became ambassador, succeeding Maxim Litvinov, have been note- worthy only for their extreme cau- tion, couched in the customary po- lite but dull diplomatic phrasing About as far as he goes in commit ting himself is to say that the peo- pie of the Soviet Union feel friend ship and deep respect for the U. s. people, and are grateful for receiv- ing from us not only moral but also substantial material support.
 AS far as Washington society is concerned his greatest material dis play of frienship comes at the an- nual October Revolution anniver- sary receptions in the big lime stone Embassy formerly occupied by Czarist diplomats, four and a half blocks up 18th street from the White House. On these occasions MT. Gromyko dons gold braid and shakes hands with from 1,5O0 to D. 900 members of official Washington, who put on a somewhat disgrace ful grab for the vodka and caviar. It's enough to make a recluse of even the most gregarious of hosts.
 MT. Gromyko was born in Minsk, White Russia, some 40 miles west of Moscow and near what used to be the pre-war pre-Curzon line Polish border. Minsk was, of course, over- run by the Germans early in the war. But at San Francisco MT. Gro- myko has the satisfaction of seeing White Russia admitted as a sover- e1gn state in the United Nations.
 He was educated as an econo- mist, and for time lectured at the Institute of Economies and the Academy of Science. Entering the government at 30, he was in charge of the American section of the Foreign Office. After a year in that position he was ordered to Wash ington in 1889 as counselor to Am bassador Constantin Oumansky. In the three months between MT. Oumansky's recall and the arrival of Ambassador Litvinov in Decem- Der, 1941, MT. Gromyko was in charge of the Embassy, and con- ducted early negotiations for Soviet purchases and lend-lease supplies from the U. S.
 Until he became Ambassador two years abo, Mr. Gromyko lived in a Washington suburb with his friend ly-faced but equally reticent wife, their son, Anatoli, and daughter, Milya. He played little volley ball, chess, did some fishing, started stamp collection for his son and spent Saturday afternoons at the movies.
 He knew practically no English when he arrived, but has studied the language diligently, along with all the reports of manufacturing, eco- monies, history and politics-tlle usual things expected of any career diplomat.
 Today Mir Gromyko has a good working knowledge of English and he gets about in the diplomatic set bit more. But the Ambassador and Madam Gromyko are not, perhaps, as chubby with the White House and State Department officials as were Maxim and Ivy Litvinov.
 Recall of MT. Litvinov at the time of the first Quebec Conference in 1943 was at first gossiped about as slap at the United States for fail ure to develop second front. The State Department was quick to de- ny that, however, and any ideas that MT. Gromyko is a second-rater have been completely removed.
 He was head of the Soviet delega- tion that helped draft Dumbarton Oaks proposals last fall, and he has handled his governments af- fairs in Washington all through the difficult periods when second front, Polish, Finnish, Romania, Yugo- slav, German occupation and rep arations questions have been the big issues.