Memoirs of an Official Agent: Part II, Commissar Chicherin

Of my acquaintance Gheorghi Vassilevitch and of his courtesy on various occasions I have the pleasantest memories. Some difficulties arose in the early days as a consequence of Lord Curzon and Sir Eyre Crowe, the Permanent Under-Secretary, refusing to have any contact with Leonid Krassin. Chicherin retorted that, that being the case, he could not, of course, receive me. However, one Kagan, who was head of the Anglo-Russian Department, was invariably helpful, and there were occasions when Florinsky, the Chef du Protocole, arranged for Chicherin and me to meet, so to speak, accidentally, at a dinner-party at some other Foreign Mission to discuss any questions pending. When the Labour Government of Ramsay MacDonald came into power, and on February 21st, 1924, de jure recognition was accorded to the Soviet Government, such minor difficulties, of course, disappeared. I was, incidentally, the only diplomat whom Gheorghi Vassilevitch was wont to receive at a reasonable hour—at 5 in the afternoon.