87. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State0
225. Eyes only Secretary. Khrushchev suggested that when I got home1 I personally ask President—not through State Department— [Page 253] whether it would be better for him if Berlin question brought to a head before or after our Congressional elections. He did not want to make things more difficult for President—and in fact would like to help him.
I said I would of course inform President but I could tell him that any crisis—and particularly one as dangerous as would arise over Berlin—would unite both parties in a demonstration of their patriotism. He then asked if settlement of such a question as Berlin would not be helpful to President politically. I said that in my opinion there was no doubt that it would. He then observed that it was of course not necessary to hold to any fixed date—and that it was even not necessarily essential that matter be settled before end of this year.