John Dobson has provided the answer, as show below:

When you use a COM DLL in VFP it doesn't know anything about any methods or properties until you try to use them. Placing a set step on before PemStatus() will force VFP to query the interface so it can be displayed in the debugger. After that it'll work because VFP now knows what the COM object supports.

As an alternative, you can use AMembers() to get information about the interface for a COM object. Use AMembers(laM, loObj, 3) and then search the array.
HTH

John

Thanks John

Gordon Knott