31. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State1
2006. Eyes only for Acting Secretary. Yesterday evening Bulganin told me with reference to previous conversation we had had in past2 re lack informal contact with Soviet leaders, that any time that I wished to have an informal and, as he put it, “heart-to-heart” talk with him he could arrange it in such way as to avoid publicity. He said I could either see him alone or together with Khrushchev at his dacha or any other convenient place. He also said if I liked we could bring along Molotov. I thanked him for this suggestion and said that I did not wish to waste his time in idle talk, but that if occasion arose in future I would be glad avail myself his offer.
Later on in evening he returned to subject and said that he had been completely serious and hoped that I would take advantage of this possibility, repeating that he would see me alone or with any [Page 67] other members of the Soviet leadership I would wish to have included. He said he thought it was most important at this juncture that there should be means informal discussion “without commitment”. Throughout evening Bulganin made great effort to impress upon me the importance of US/Soviet relations and of the desire of Soviet Government to see some genuine improvement in this field. I told him of course the US had friends and allies and I could not go in for bilateral deals, to which he replied that he had not in mind any deals behind backs of or at expense of associates.
I am very anxious to safeguard the secrecy of this suggestion which at some time in future [might] come in very useful. Obviously, in part at least, it might be an attempt to sow suspicion with our allies, but I am inclined more to believe that Bulganin recognizes need for some method of communication rather than by official notes or highly publicized communications. I shall of course never on my own initiative take up his suggestion, and would only do so under explicit instructions from Department. In addition, if any use is to be made of this offer I would have to be much more fully aware than I am at present of our thinking on outstanding questions.
I think it might be useful, if you agree, to bring this message to the attention of the President as I believe almost for the first time since I have been here possibilities of diplomatic action are really opening up.3
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series. Top Secret. No copy of this telegram has been found in Department of State files.↩
- Not further identified.↩
- On March 12, Hoover informed Bohlen that his telegram had been shown to the President, who had read it with great interest. (Department of State, Central Files, 110.12–HO/3–1256)↩