15. Telegram From Secretary of State Rusk to the Department of State0
Secto 53. Eyes only for President and Acting Secretary. Have had brief additional talks1 with Gromyko alone in connection normal activities conference and will be having bilateral dinner with him on Tuesday. Meanwhile, members of his delegation have shown interest in exploring further with Kohler and Bohlen2 implications my presentation “modus vivendi” approach last Tuesday. I am not taking initiative for full exploration with Gromyko over this week end in order to give him chance to get Moscow reaction to what has been said already. However, I expect to step up pace of private talks during coming week. Senior member Soviet delegation expressed some concern to Thompson that I might be leaving next week end because he said “Moscow moves very slowly”.3 I should like to leave open exact date of my return because if we seem to [Page 46] be making any headway on Berlin, that should be overriding claim on my time.
[Here follow two paragraphs on disarmament.]
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.61/3–1762. Top Secret; Niact. According to another copy, this telegram was drafted by Rusk. (Ibid., Conference Files: Lot 65 D 533, CF 2060)↩
- The additional talks have not been further identified.↩
- Regarding Kohler’s conversation with Semenov, see Document 14. A memorandum of Bohlen’s conversation with Semenov on March 16 (SecDel MC/29) is in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 65 D 533, CF 2074.↩
- This conversation has not been further identified.↩