Russian Red Tape Causes CRIME Phone Calls to Take Circular Orbit

The U.S. can stop worrying. The Russian government may have sent up a Sputnik, but it has also entangled itself in a mass of red tape perhaps even more complex than ours.

Five telephone calls to Washington yesterday failed to extract any information from the Soviet bureaucrats concerning the proposed plan for exchange of students between Moscow University and Harvard. The first call was made to the Soviet Embassy itself, in an attempt to contact Anatoli Gorshenev, second secretary of the delegation.

Monday, Gorshenev had made a few general comments on the plan, and suggested that the CRIMSON call him the next day for further information. But yesterday, Gorshenev had no comment on the plan, and suggested that a Mr. Ivanov, at another number, might be able to help.

Mr. Ivanov was not in. An aide, informed of the purpose of the call, suggested another try in 15 or 20 minutes. Twenty minutes later, Mr. Ivanov was in, but he said that he did not speak English, and that Mr. Gorshenev at the Embassy might be able to answer questions.

The cycle was completed by a return call to the Embassy, a request for anyone who could say anything about the plan. The Press Officer suggested that the only people who knew about the plan were the two cultural attaches. Neither, he explained, were in.