Office of the Historian

129. Memorandum of Conversation1

US/MC/1
New York, September 30, 1965, 6:30 p.m.

SECRETARY’S DELEGATION TO THE TWENTIETH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

New York, September-October 1965

SUBJECT

  • Possible Soviet Purchases of U.S. Wheat

PARTICIPANTS

  • U.S.
    • Amb. Llewellyn E. Thompson
  • USSR
    • Amb. Anatoliy F. Dobrynin

At the Secretary’s reception, I took Dobrynin aside and asked if he knew whether or not the Soviet Government was likely to want to purchase wheat from us this year. He said he had not talked to their top people on this subject but, from his conversations with other officials, he had the impression that they had covered their requirements by purchases in Canada and elsewhere. I said that if they were likely to be interested, it would be well that they let us know promptly in order for us to see whether or not we could do anything about the current requirement that 50 percent of the shipments would have to go in American bottoms. He said he understood that I was mentioning this unofficially, and I confirmed that this was correct. He said that the 50–50 requirement had prevented them from buying from us, and said that it was not only a question of price, but also one of prestige. He said that he would inquire of his Government and let me know what the current position was.

  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, INCO-WHEAT US. Secret. Drafted by Thompson on October 1. The conversation was held during the Secretary’s reception at the Waldorf Astoria.↩