123. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State1
551. Ref: Embtel 458.2 I met with Gromyko at noon today to discuss Soviet Union’s unilateral cancellation of space and hand tool exhibits. Recounting for him the history of our agreement, I noted that we had more or less made our preparations for our hand tool exhibit, that we had already invested about $250,000 and over 50 US companies had been working with us on it. I said that we simply did not understand in light of foregoing the Romanovsky committee’s decision to cancel exhibits because of “current international situation.” I noted this was violation of intergovernmental agreement which we regarded as very serious development. I said my government trusted this was a mistake which would be immediately reconsidered so that we could go ahead with these programs.
After a few asides to Kornienko indicating that he was less than fully familiar with matter, Gromyko asked me if we wanted fulfillment of arrangements on both sides. I replied that we very much wanted this, but said that if Soviets for any reason wished to change character of their exhibit, they were of course free to do so. Delays were not unprecedented, I said, and it would be possible to carry out their exhibit next year if they wished.
Gromyko responded that the motives for their action were quite convincing in present situation. He said that he would consider situationin light of what I had said, but that he would make no promises at moment as to their decision. I said that we all recognized that we had our political difficulties but I thought we both had a responsibilityto keep our programs going, and that I found it difficult to reconcile cancellation of these exhibits with fact that they were going ahead with plans for their children’s creative art exhibit in US, with their plans to send the Moscow philharmonic to US, the film festival, and track meet which had just taken place, and other continuing exchanges. I said I also found it hard to reconcile with his own conversation with AMB Kennan and me at lunch on June 253 (when Gromyko encouraged us to think that Soviets wished to move ahead on bilateral relations) [Page 322] and with spirit of remarks recently made by Kosygin to Gov Harriman.4
In an obvious reference to Vietnam, Gromyko said that question of exhibits could not be “put away in a steel box” and isolated by itself. He concluded, however, that he would think over the question and see what could be done. I thanked him forthis, and said we would hope for prompt reply as we were continuing to invest a lot of time and money in our exhibit.
I also left with Gromyko President Johnson’s letter to Mikoyan5 enclosing copy of first photograph of Mars. This led to concluding pleasantries about our respective space accomplishments in which he wished us luck on the Gemini flight, and I congratulated him on their excellent moon pictures.
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, CUL 8 USSR. Confidential; Priority. No time of transmission appears on the telegram, but it was received in the Department of State at 5:31 p.m. on August 21.↩
- Dated August 13, it reported that the Soviet Union, in view of the current international situation, was canceling the Soviet space exhibit in the United States and the U.S. hand tools exhibit in the Soviet Union. (Ibid., SP 8 US)↩
- See Document 115.↩
- See Documents 118 and 119.↩
- Not found.↩