Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume V, Soviet Union

44. Airgram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State⁰

Moscow, March 14, 1961.

G-665. The following miscellaneous items supplement reports on my recent conversation with Khrushchev. Most of these points arose during informal luncheon conversation.

(1) During luncheon I mentioned to Khrushchev that one area for cooperation between the US andUSSR would be Outer Space. Khrushchev replied that he agreed, but he did not pursue the subject.

(2) Khrushchev said that he had received many letters from statesmen abroad and that these emphasized that much depended upon Soviet relations with the US.

(3) Khrushchev recalled his recent conversation with Mr. Hammer and repeated much of what the Embassy has already reported; namely, that Hammer was the first foreign concessionaire in the Soviet Union, that when Hammer was in Rostov both Mikoyan and Voroshilov¹ were there, that Hammer was able to visit the pencil factory that he had organized in Moscow. Khrushchev seemed much impressed by Hammer and recalled he had been told that Hammer had earned nearly $1 million at the same time that he was attending college. Khrushchev also repeated what he had told Hammer about the Soviet process of making synthetic rubber directly from gas. He referred with pride to fact that Hammerʼs nephew had recently visited U.S. and had been urged to stay but had preferred return to Soviet Union.

(4) When I mentioned to Khrushchev at luncheon that there were few important direct problems between the US and the USSR, that our differences lay outside bilateral relations, he readily assented.

(5) During our discussion of Germany, Khrushchev to illustrate what little importance West Berlin has for the USSR said that the annual Soviet population increase is 3.5 million and that the total population of West Berlin is 2 million— “one nightʼs work.”

(6) In talking about Soviet desire to purchase urea plants, Khrushchev said that Garst² had advised him to procure such plants.

(7) During our discussion on disarmament, Khrushchev interjected the remark that Stevenson in theUN seemed to go astray like Lodge.³ He then inquired what Lodge was doing at the present time. I told him I understood Lodge was connected with an international educational foundation.

(8) Khrushchev spoke with great conviction of the need to reform the United Nations set-up. He asserted that the US had mis-used its voting majority but what did this prove? The day might soon come when the majority would be against the US and we would then understand the Soviet position. Great powers could not be made to do things against their vital interests by UN votes. The veto provision in the UN charter had been very wise and something must be done so that the UN Secretariat could not act in favor of one side. The only solution he could find was his proposal for a three-man Secretary-General.

(9) When I mentioned that President had many important domestic problems to tackle Khrushchev remarked that all countries had their internal problems.

(10) Khrushchev not only stated that Soviet Union would overtake US in per capita industrial production by 1970 but added that later—presumably by end 20-year plan—their output per capita would be double ours. He added, however, that we need have nothing to fear from this. I observed that the Soviet Union would have to begin to devote more of their resources and manpower to service industries. Khrushchev agreed and said they were far behind us in this field.

(11) Khrushchev said his daughter Rada had come out to join him two days before but she did not appear at lunch as she was doing some work at the Novosibirsk Academy of Science. He mentioned that Radaʼs husband, Adjubei, had met President Kennedy when he was in the United States with a delegation of journalists that had been invited to the Kennedy home. Khrushchev spoke with approval of number of young men in new administration and observed that it was important to develop leaders by giving them responsibility early in life.

Thompson

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.61/3-1461. Confidential; Limit Distribution.
1. Kliment Y. Voroshilov, Marshal of the Soviet Union and member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
2. Presumably this is reference to Roswell Garst whose farm in Coons Rapids, Iowa, Khrushchev visited in 1959 during his trip to the United States.
3. Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., former U.S. Representative to the United Nations.