“…Nevertheless, he was respected for his can-do attitude and as a quick learner. 7 Although he was not particularly effective as Roosevelt's ambassador in Moscow from 1939 to 1941, neither his predecessors nor his successors during the Stalin era fared any better; and indeed, some did worse. However, he proved at his next post, in Ankara, Turkey (1942)(1943)(1944)(1945)) that he could be a shrewd tactician and a promoter of American interests in a country standing astride two warring blocs.…”