Office of the Historian

84. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union1

Washington, January 8, 1965, 8:04 p.m.

1890. Ref: Embtel 1971.2 At Department’s Crab Fishing reception January 7 several Soviet Embassy officers expressed apparently genuine surprise at suggestions Soviet reaction to State of Union address was unusually harsh. They said they considered Soviet reaction to speech was not unusual in that address contained some things they disliked and some they liked. They contended Soviet press treatment in natural way criticized those things which they disagree with and praised those they approved of. Was quite apparent in number of individual conversations that the one most difficult ingredient for Soviets in speech was section directed to Eastern European countries. Ambassador Dobrynin said to Ambassador Thompson that his government was disturbed that the question of improving relations between the US and Eastern European countries always seemed to be in the form of separating these countries from the Soviet Union.3 This section President’s speech was described by other Soviets as “robbing much of value” in President’s remarks in support of US-Soviet trade. Several officers also expressed “strong disappointment” President’s use of self-determination in reference to Germany.

In general Soviet officers indicated optimistic expectations for “improvements” in coming months including Consular Convention, air agreement, opening up consulates, trade. Some expressed surprise at US press interpretation President’s remarks as “invitation” to Soviet leaders. They suggested the new Soviet leaders could not appropriately “rush off” to Washington so soon after coming to power.

Rusk
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Vol. VII. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Jenkins, cleared by Henry and Vedeler (EUR), and approved by Thompson. Repeated to London, Paris, and Bonn.↩
  2. Dated January 7, it summarized Soviet press reaction to the President’s State of the Union address. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 15–2 US)↩
  3. A memorandum of Dobrynin’s conversation with Thompson is ibid., POL EUR E–US. Memoranda of their conversations on the possible visit of Soviet businessmen to the United States and the Indonesian withdrawal from the United Nations during the reception are in the Department of State, S/S–I Miscellaneous Files: Lot 79 D 246, Microfilm Box 50 and S/S–I Miscellaneous Files: Lot 73 D 154, S/AL.↩