Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-27

what can I do to help?" he
asked.
do you think you could take
this matter up with Stalin?"
"Of course ! can" he said
without hesitation. Write out
what you want me to say and
I'll be glad to send it,"
That night I mailed him a
draft of the telegram I thought |
he should send to Stain II Ia
mara were to be returned to
Moscow and if I were to be
allowed to go back to the U. s.
s. r. and marry her.
Stain said he was making
an exception because Of your |
personal vouching," and that
WILKES request would be COM
piled with.
Three days later I had q tele-
gram from Moscow:
IT back home with mama. I
love you. I wait for you. hurry
up honey. your Tamara."
Returns and WEEDS Tamara.
(Gilmore rode a Liberty ship
from Charleston, S. c., through
the gun-raked Mediterranean to
Egypt, and entered Russia
through Iran. He and Tamara
were married by Russian officials.
The war still was on, and Gil
more was in the midst OF re-
porting it.
Two daughters were born to
the GilmoreS, who meantime
found they had "the grand
father problem of ALL" That was
to get permission to leave the
Soviet Union as a familyO
I wasn't the only American in
Russia with a Russian wife.
There were others who hung on.
Some Americans had been forced
to leave Moscow and say good
by to their wives. These men
I loved their wives and tier wives
loved them. They just wanted
to be together. But they were
not in a position to remain on
in the Soviet Union.
When the husbands left. the
MVD went to work. Several Of
the Russian wives wrote letters
that appeared in the Moscow
papers. They denounced the
United States and their huS-
bands and asked for divorces.
One of the girls told me about
her case.
"They just brought me the
| letter and told me to sign" she
said.
One afternoon Tamara entered
the apartment, tears in her eyes.
81 was taken of the street
today" she said, ION the way to
market. They told me / should
divorce you. I told them they
could do with me what they
wanted to, but I'd never divorce
the man love ana the 1aLner OF
my two children"
Gen. Smiths Reaction.
I thought this was getting
pretty serious. I went out to
Spasso House and asked Gen.
Smith Ambassador Walter Be-
dell Smith to come out in the
yard for a walk. He's a very
tough gent, as many people
have learned. but think I saw
tears in his eyes.
His words were profane and
highly undiplomatic. !.
Tamara's mother, sister and
brother were forbidden to visit
our apartment.
"It's dangerous house." they
. were told.
I had my private he'll when ]
, would awaken at 6 o'clock on
those dark Russian winter morn
ings and think about my prob
lem. It wouldn't have been so
bad if I knew I had seven years
. to serve in Russia. Or II before
I'd get my family out. 1t was
the uncertainty of the thing
the not knowing if you'd ever
get them out.
(Gilmore made another trip
to the United States in the
. winter of 1950-51-and had
trouble getting back to Russia.
: His re-entry visa was long de-
: layed. A friend even suggested
that he not go back, but try to
: help his family from the outside.
When Tamara got the news
J that Gilmore was coming back,
she telegraphed: 81 feel like ]
: have been born again.~
Flowers, Kisses and Tears.
Tamara met me at the airport
in the old Russian manner
. with an armful of flowers, q
great many kisses and tears,
, Vicki remembered me. and most
fondly, and Susanna pretended
she did.
!. "And now" I said to my wife,
| Tets start thinking about how
. to get out of here"
do you really think there's
any chance?"
Frankly, as long as Stain Il
: alive I just don't know. But this
/ do know. Something can hap.
e pen in world affairs that car
: completely change the situation
: It can change overnight"
2 The propaganda machine wa
: really hot with verbiage agains
i, the United States. We were be-
ing denounced for bacteria war
e fare in Korea. Truman and Ache
q son were fascist beasts"
e I'd always said I wanted to b.
= in Russia when Joseph Stalil