361.1121 Pyk, Irena Teodozja/5: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:20 p.m.]
550. My 313, February 19, 8 p.m. Thurston35 was summoned to the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs this morning and informed by Valkov36 that the Soviet Government is disposed to quash the death sentence imposed on Irene Pyk and the sentence of 3 years’ confinement in a labor camp imposed on Mieczyslaw Roszkowski and to permit them to return to the United States provided the United States Government will quash the sentence imposed upon Mikhail Gorin and permit him to return to the Soviet Union. Valkov was informed that the proposal would be submitted to the Department of State.
Irrespective of the Department’s reaction to the specific suggestion made by the Soviet Government I cannot refrain from inviting the Department’s attention to this perfect example of Soviet psychology. This blunt proposal is an unusually direct presentation of the Soviet approach [which?] is unusually [usually?] somewhat more devious to any and all subjects involving the surrender of its position in any matter or the attainment of any desired objective, to wit, that an immediate quid fro quo must [be?] obtained. I have endeavored to bring out this fundamental Soviet characteristic in a number of my previous telegrams to the Department in the hope that not even the most minute concession will be made in Washington without a commensurate concession from the Soviet Government if for no other reason than that Soviet psychology not only expects concessions to be on a barter basis but attaches greater value to the concession obtained by it if a price is paid therefor than if it is received as a friendly gesture.