133. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State1
1429. Pass USIA. Ref Embtel 1417.2 Exchanges.
Soviets have now clearly made decision to apply “freeze” to exchanges in cultural field. Decision to allow Aronson-Elder to proceed apparently trickle to indicate freeze not total. We doubt education group to study science-mathematics will be allowed to come this year although there may be outside chance; tone Krylov’s remarks permit impression Soviets might use tactic of curtailing program to make us cancel delegation.
Krylov left distinct inference Sovs would be dilatory in moving to negotiate new agreement. Said much remained to be discussed among Soviet authorities, including scope of agreement, programs to be included, date of negotiations and seemed to be conveying impression Sovs in no hurry to finish their preparations. EmbOffs deduced committee not engaged at this time in preparation of any preliminary draft.3
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, EDX US–USSR. Limited Official Use. No time of transmission appears on the telegram, but it was received in the Department of State on October 28 at 3:59 p.m.↩
- Also dated October 28, it summarized a general review of the exchanges program in which the Soviet representative stressed that changes in the international situation had arisen since the signature of the agreement that “could not but affect” U.S.-Soviet relations. (Ibid.)↩
- On October 30 the Department of State informed the Embassy in Moscow that the Soviet refusal to fulfill exchange commitments should not be allowed to pass without a formal U.S. reaction. (Telegram 1144 to Moscow; ibid.) On November 2 the Embassy presented an aide-mémoire to this effect to the Soviet Foreign Ministry. (Telegram 1477 from Moscow, November 2; ibid.)↩