Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-07

4IleIluly open IlhLlueutlcSS,
the Russian. one Of secrecy
and Self-sufficiency.'
An Associated Press survey
of embassies in a dozen world
capitals draws this contrast
ing picture of the physical
faces America and Russia
present to the people Of those
countries:
The American E m b assy
generally is larger, newer.
more lavish and more promi-
nently located.
Americas diplomatic face
in Japan is a rambling,
white-washed enclave on a
hill near the center Of Tokyo.
Encircled by a white wall, it
contains the embassy, the
ambassadors residence, two
ONCE buildings ana Cnree
apartment houses.
The embassy building is
best described as stately-de-
spite chronic trouble with the
cutters. After every rain the
white walls are Streaked with
copper stain which has to be
painted over. 1t takes diligent
work to keep the building
presentable.
BY contrast, the Soviet En-
baSsy is a drab, gray-tan
stucco building half hidden
behind a high wall in a
fashionable residential quar-
ter of central Tokyo.
Grim Look
1t has a grim, unitarian
look. A squat, square central
tower and the liberal use Of
iron bars on the windows give
the structure the air of a
fortress.
Argentinians see the face Of
America as a solid and ma
jestic converted mansion on
Broad Libertador General
San Martin Avenue, one Of
the main streets in BuenoS
Aires. 1t is surrounded by
trees and a high iron fence.
Russia's main diplomatic
headquarters in BuenoS Aires
might be mistaken for the
home of a well-to-do profess
sional man in the residential
zone called Barrio Norte. It
is identified only by a bronze
plate on the door.
The costs of maintaining
the rival establishments are
difficult to compare since in
most cases the Russian fig
ures are unavailable and
American costs often include
other expenses such as Spe-
cial missions. But 1t seems
safe to say that the United
States spends more.
The Americans usually
maintain larger stats and
have many more native en-
ployes than the Russians.
The United States embas-
sy in Rome, for instance,
lists 1873 American State
Department employees and
242 Italians. The Russian
embassy has about 40 with
diplomatic accreditation and
an undiscloSed number in
secretarial and clerical jobs.
The SovietS employ about a
dozen Italians.
The Americans hire a
large number of natives
mostly because not many
Americans speak Italian. All
the Russians assigned to
Rome speak the language.
The few Italian employees,
plus the locked gates, the
usual high forbidding wall
and a receptionist'S cubicle
which resembles a ticket
sellers booth in a movie
house, all contribute to the
air of mystery that sur
rounds the Russian embassy.
1.-THE Russian embassy is
like a police state" said one
Roman visitor. II felt that
every move I made was being
watched and checked. At the
American embassy I was
amazed at the amount Of
freedom I had"
Lavish Parties
Americans and Russians
generally equal each other in
the lavishness of their en-
basSy parties, depending, Of
course, on the degree of
friendlinesS with the govern
ment Of the particular coun-
try.
Russian parties are thrown
in the embassy, which also
houses the ambassadors resi-
dence. The American wing
dings are held at the ambas-
sador's home.
State department regula-
tions forbid alcoholic bever-
ages being served in the en-
bassies and few diplomatic
receptions and parties are
considered successful unless
1in,Io1. doyrS frno1v Tho ano