BRAZIL: Soviet & Samba

Goateed, greying, ace Soviet diplomat Jacob Surits has a habit of popping up in key spots. He was at Geneva in 1939 when the League of Nations prepared to expel Russia for the war with Finland. As Soviet Ambassador to France in 1940, Surits was declared persona non grata for cabling home harsh criticism of "Anglo-French warmongers." Last week the U.S.S.R. had named him their first Ambassador to Brazil, where the Communists had rolled up an unexpected 600,000-odd votes in the recent elections.

By dispatching to Rio a longtime Bolshevist of Surits' standing,...

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