Office of the Historian

62. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union0

Washington, May 2, 1961, 7:02 p.m.

1885. Your 2679 and 2695.1 Professor Byrnes, Chairman of Inter-University Committee, informed substance reftels and reacts as follows:

Difficult be specific from distance in situation like this. However, cannot overemphasize concern and desire for Gribble and Kirsch reconsider matter in terms their whole future life and happiness. Committee strongly hopes students would seriously reconsider, particularly in view (a) difficulty and possible inability for wives obtain exit permits (what would students do if wives cannot leave?) (b) fact emotions may mislead one in strained emotional and physical environment such as experienced by exchange students in U.S.S.R. (Is this time and place to make such important life-long decision?) (c) possible motivations of girls other than or in addition to normal feelings of love including possible desire find means of leaving U.S.S.R. or possible police control of girls (d) possibility for police pressures and dangers to families of girls who remain in U.S.S.R. and through them on girls and ultimately on their husbands. (End Brynes statement)

Department agrees serious efforts to discourage these marriages should be continued.

NY Times approach based on Committee passing of information to its Times contact on info-only basis. Committee has taken necessary steps with Times prevent any premature use.2

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 511.613/5-261. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Martens (EUR/SES) and approved by SOV, OEE and Siscoe (EUR/SES).↩
  2. Telegram 2679, April 28, reported that Embassy officials had tried to dissuade Charles Gribble and Leonard Kirsch, who had come to the Embassy that day to announce that they intended to marry Russian women the following week. (Ibid., 511.613/4-2861) Telegram 2695, May 2, reported that a New York Times correspondent was aware of the situation but had agreed to hold the story until informed of developments by the Embassy. (Ibid., 511/613/5-261)↩
  3. On May 4 the Embassy in Moscow reported that after a talk with Ambassador Thompson, Gribble agreed to postpone his marriage for at least a year, but Kirsch intended to proceed. (Telegram 2718 from Moscow; ibid., 511.613/5-461) On May 17 the Embassy reported that Kirsch had been married that day. (Telegram 2826; ibid., 511.613/5-1761)↩