372. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union0
1544. Tyler called in Dobrynin November 12 to discuss Barghoorn arrest.1 Said he was sure Dobrynin could appreciate concern in American intellectual community and Congress over arrest. Felt he must tell Dobrynin this event cannot but have an injurious and damaging effect on mutual efforts expand and improve relations in cultural, scientific, and educational fields. Said he felt very strongly only way to minimize such damage would be immediately to release Professor Barghoorn. Tyler said the immediate purpose his demarche was to associate himself strongly with efforts of our Consul in Moscow, which so far unavailing to be put in touch with Barghoorn.
Tyler stressed that US Government attached very great importance to this. He concluded by saying he felt it in interests both countries to minimize and reduce very strong feeling which arrest had created in this country.
Dobrynin said he had thus far received only bare information concerning arrest and would report conversation to his government. Went on to say that Soviet authorities must have had strong evidence against Barghoorn to have taken such strong action as arrest.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, PS 7-1 US-USSR. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Guthrie and approved by Tyler.↩
- On October 31 Frederick Barghoorn, a Yale University professor who had arrived in the Soviet Union on October 7, was arrested by Soviet authorities and held incommunicado until the Soviet Foreign Ministry informed the U.S. Embassy of his detention on November 12.↩