DIPLOMATIC SYMPOSIUM gj

To my great surprise, and indeed to the surprise of Neville and all
of us, the Department replied that there was no objection to my
carrying on with Troyanovsky all relations of a social and ceremonial
character which usually exist between the Dean and the Diplomatic
Corps ; that I should receive him if he called on me and could
exchange cards as long as mine was labelled '* To the Dean of the
Diplomatic Corps," and that in all subsequent exchanges of cards
I should use personal ones. In effect, I could do anything which
did not make it appear that I was entering into relations with him
officially in his capacity as representing the Soviet regime.

Anyway, no harm was done. I promptly called on the Dutch
Minister, General Pabst, to tell him of my altered decision—he was
very appreciative of my doing so—and asked the Rumanian Charge
d'Affaires, Stoi'cesco, to call so that I could tell him too. I then had
Neville ask the Soviet Embassy to send the circular around again and
promptly signed it.

WHY THE JAPANESE PLAY BAD POKER

January 24, 1933

At 5.30 I went to the house of a Japanese friend for poker, stayed
to dinner, and played until 10. I was the only foreigner with
six Japanese. It was a very pleasant evening and my presence
didn't seem to detract from the informality, for they spoke Japanese
or English among themselves as they pleased* Shiratori said that the
Japanese are not good poker players because they are too honest,
but I observed several occasions when they failed to live up to this
reputation. However, I won.

DIPLOMATIC SYMPOSIUM

February 14, 1933

Yesterday and to-day I had conversations with the German
Ambassador, on whom I called, and with the Dutch Minister and the
Italian and French ChargŁ d'Affaires, who called on me to find out
what I was thinking about the general situation. Voretzsch calls
the situation more dangerous than at any time since the Sino-Japanese
dispute began. Weillschott, the Italian Chargd d* Affaires, is even
more inflammatory and confidently predicts a world war within two
years. He and the German, Voretzsch, both foresee the eventual
application of sanctions under Article XVI of the Covenant and the
withdrawal of Japan from the League. Pabst and I see eye to eye in
the whole business.

When they ask me my own views, I carefully preface them by saying
that these views are purely personal; first, because not being a
member of the League of Nations we have nothing to say about the
League's procedure; and second, because I cannot speak officially
for the incoming administration in the United States, except to quote
Roosevelt's public statement about supporting the treaties, and that