187. Editorial Note

On August 20, 1969, at 11:10 a.m., President Richard Nixon met with a group of departing United States Ambassadors at the Western White House in San Clemente, California. After introductions, he spoke individually with each Ambassador, including Leonard C. Meeker, who was departing for Romania. According to a memorandum of conversation from the meeting:

“The President commented on his recent visit to Romania and pointed out that Ceausescu was a tough, hardline Stalinist Marxist who was both straightforward and unbending. He remarked that his discussions with Ceausescu in Romania were straight-from-the-shoulder exchanges without the usual platitudes associated with diplomatic intercourse. He commented that Maurer is more affable and soft-spoken than Ceausescu but nonetheless was also a wily Communist who probably lacked the charisma and toughness of Ceausescu. The President stated that he was interested in ensuring that we opened up as many channels of intercourse with the Romanians in the cultural, scientific and trade areas as appear practical in the overall context of relationships with Eastern Europe. He told Ambassador Meeker that he was sending Dr. DuBridge to Romania with the view toward broadening scientific and technological exchanges. He wished Meeker to keep a sensitive reign on Romanian attitudes towards the expansion [Page 460] of relationships with the United States. The President remarked that the Romanian people were warm and genuine in their reception of him and that during his visit they were not conducting staged responses. Rather they were involved in a spontaneous and genuine pro-Americanism. He said the Romanian people were warm-hearted, much like the people of Italy with perhaps many of the same characteristics. At the same time he cautioned that they are part of a disciplined, hard-line Communist system.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 702, Country Files—Europe, Romania, Vol. I—8/69)