Sociable Call

Moscow's telephone operators learned one way to talk to Molotov: pick up a phone in Iowa, U.S.A., and call him up. Jovial Smoky Schroeder, a 200-pound Iowa railway fireman, gave more details.

Once Smoky tried to telephone Chiang Kaishek; on another occasion he tried to talk to Manuel Avila Camacho, then President of Mexico. Last week Smoky got the urge again, picked up the phone in his Oelwein, Iowa hotel, and said: "Get me the Kremlin in Moscow." Four hours later, on a line which crackled and buzzed, he was put through to Moscow.

"Who did you say you want?" said a voice.

"Molotov," said Smoky.

"Who?"

"I want Molotov."

Then Smoky was connected, and for five minutes had a chat with Russia's Foreign Minister and two girl interpreters, who took over after the first few words. They all wanted to know if Smoky was going to discuss world politics. "No," said Smoky, "I'm just an ordinary American from Iowa who wants to be sociable." Molotov asked about railroads, the girls about Hollywood. It was all very confusing. "It probably was very difficult," said Smoky thoughtfully, "for them to understand the purpose of the call."

It cost Smoky $18.25 (including tax) to be "sociable." Now he plans to call among others Churchill and Madame Chiang. "I would particularly like to talk to Gandhi," he said longingly. "I understand he talks very good American."

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