Messersmith, G.S.
Date
2011-06-15
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
Abstract
Description
Discusses character and activities of [Constantine A.] Oumansky in Washington and Mexico; when Messersmith first went to Washington as Assistant Secretary of State, [Alexander Antonovich] Troyanovsky was Soviet Ambassador; he was obviously an intellectual, but was pleasant and unassuming; shortly afterward Oumansky arrived to serve as Counselor in Soviet Embassy; he had excellent command of English, was relatively young, not unpleasant in appearance, but every action bespoke of aggressiveness and pronounced egotism, though he usually made himself agreeable; shortly after his arrival, Messersmith remarked to associates in Department it would not be long before Troyanovsky would be recalled and Oumansky named Ambassador; seemed no doubt that Oumansky would find way to undermine his chief; this did happen a few months later; when he called at State Department, Secretary Hull complained of his brash behavior and improper approach and after a short time refused to receive him, delegating the job to Sumner Welles; after a few months Welles made same complaint and turned Oumansky over to Messersmith; first time he was shown into Messersmith's office, Messersmith said before they got to subject of visit that Oumansky knew the Secretary and Undersecretary were no longer receiving him, and unless he handled his business with the State Department correctly, he wouldn't even be able to see Messersmith; Oumansky wanted to remain in Washington and knew he had reached his limit; if he couldn't even see an Assistant Secretary, he knew he would be recalled for the news would get back to Moscow; the Department had no further trouble with him; about a year after the Messersmiths arrived in Mexico, Oumansky was assigned to Mexico City as Ambassador and was also accredited to the Central American republics; he immediately sought out the Messersmiths and greeted them as old friends; as U.S. and Russia were officially on friendly terms, the Messersmiths extended the Oumanskys the usual courtesies; they in fact liked Mrs. Oumansky very much, but Oumansky himself had not changed; he was annoyed by reports in American press (and republished in Mexico) about the espionage system he was maintaining in Mexico, and came to Messersmith demanding that he do something about it; Messersmith replied that neither he nor the U.S. Government controlled the American press; Oumansky tried to convince Messersmith that reports were false, but never succeeded; he bragged of superiority of everything Russian, including Russian cigarettes, and then cadged American cigarettes from Mrs. Messersmith at every opportunity; early one morning in Jan. 1946, a plane he borrowed from Mexican Army and piloted by one of best Mexican pilots, crashed on take off for El Salvador, killing both Oumansky and Mrs. Oumansky, the crew, and all except one of the Soviet Embassy staff on board; Soviet Government tried to claim it was sabotage, but though Mexican authorities made thorough investigation, they found no evidence of sabotage; when the Messersmiths were leaving the funeral, Mrs. Messersmith remarked she wouldn't have been surprised if the lid of Oumansky's casket popped up and he leaned out and said, "Well, haven't you got a cigarette for me?"
Keywords
Messersmith, George S. (George Strausser), 1883-1960.