October 10, 1960
Dictated by Cde. N. S. Khrushchev on 10 October 1960
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CPSU CC PRESIDIUM
Everything here is moving toward conclusion of the work and we are beginning preparations to depart. We are already beginning to count the days and it seems that it is still long before the day we leave. This is a good sign.
Today there was a speech by [President of the Republic of Guinea] Sekou Toure. His speech was very good - long, but well-developed, logical, and pointed. It had vagueness only on one point, as did others, the one about the UN Secretary General. But evidently Tito, [Prime Minister of the Republic of Ghana] Nkrumah, and Nehru pressured him and it came out neutral. He followed them on this issue. But perhaps [it was] for reasons of having some distance from the Soviet Union so that he not be accused of following the Communists. At this stage this is not the main thing because a definite decision on this issue is not in prospect right now.
Yesterday, as you know from the newspapers, [my] speech was broadcast on television. The comrades who heard the broadcast say that it was successful for our interests.
We are thinking of flying out at midnight on Thursday, 13 October, and according to estimates will arrive in Moscow at 5 P.M., Friday, Moscow time.
We are of the opinion that Cde. Andrei Gromyko ought not remain here and indeed he himself wants to return to Moscow. Let Cde. Valerian Zorin and the other comrades remain here, considering that the other ministers have already departed and the rest are planning to leave, so we ought not leave our own minister.
We were thinking about a meeting after our arrival in Moscow, but came to the conclusion that we ought not decide this right now but we'll come and exchange opinions as to whether it ought to be held, and when and who should attend.
Com. Gromyko is not pressuring me himself but evidently by agreement with him Cde. Zorin, the Ukrainians, and the Belorussians [are pressing] to buy a building for [their] mission[s] in New York. It seems that they have already sent on their ideas through their own channels. I admit that I displayed cowardice and didn't find the strength to resist, and yielded to an “evil” influence to some degree. We'll come and I will repent and present myself before a comradely court. A decision will be made after questioning and trial.
I'm riding here in an American Cadillac car. It's a good car, seating seven. Five vehicles were bought before our arrival. I convinced the comrades to whom these cars belonged, rather Cde. Zorin and the others, that we will take the Cadillac with us and send them to Moscow on the Baltika and we'll get one more medium-sized car. If you don't object, then in my opinion a small car ought to be purchased so that our designers can familiarize themselves with modern American automobiles and not invent a camel that has been running around the steppes for a long time, but make better use of [the knowledge] accumulated by American automobile makers. But they manufacture good cars.
Maybe we'll send our own vehicles to replace these cars in order not to lose dollars (this will be after checking; possibly they have some surplus ones). First, our cars are not bad and, second, considerations of prestige ought to be taken into account. This probably ought to be done when a steamship is coming to America in order not to waste money on transport again.
Here Cde. Men'shikov raised his voice that the Embassy in Washington also not be forgotten. Obviously his wishes will also have to be taken into account if he will not behave himself properly.
As you see from the content of our telegram, our mood is not bad. We're criticizing the bourgeoisie, capitalists, and imperialists. We're driving when possible, and the more we drive the more we run up America's bill, for fuel, for police, of which there are a great many, etc.
Com. Janos Kàdàr and his comrades will fly to Moscow with us on the return trip. They are to return with him.
Greetings to everyone from everyone. We're already beginning to count the hours, how many we have left to spend in this goddamn capitalist country and return to our socialist country, how long we have to spend in the den of the Yellow Devil, as Maxim Gorky said of it figuratively, and we will add: not only in the den of the Yellow Devil, but this is a real prison for the American people because the people here are like prisoners in stone sacks: neither greenery, nor the opportunity for a walk crowded with automobiles or walks along dirty sidewalks blackened streets amid constant noise. We inform you of this in order to moderate their passion somewhat if someone suffers from an impatience to see this Yellow Devil.
Everything here is moving toward conclusion of the work and we are beginning preparations to depart. We are already beginning to count the days and it seems that it is still long before the day we leave. This is a good sign.
Today there was a speech by [President of the Republic of Guinea] Sekou Toure. His speech was very good - long, but well-developed, logical, and pointed. It had vagueness only on one point, as did others, the one about the UN Secretary General. But evidently Tito, [Prime Minister of the Republic of Ghana] Nkrumah, and Nehru pressured him and it came out neutral. He followed them on this issue. But perhaps [it was] for reasons of having some distance from the Soviet Union so that he not be accused of following the Communists. At this stage this is not the main thing because a definite decision on this issue is not in prospect right now.
Yesterday, as you know from the newspapers, [my] speech was broadcast on television. The comrades who heard the broadcast say that it was successful for our interests.
We are thinking of flying out at midnight on Thursday, 13 October, and according to estimates will arrive in Moscow at 5 P.M., Friday, Moscow time.
We are of the opinion that Cde. Andrei Gromyko ought not remain here and indeed he himself wants to return to Moscow. Let Cde. Valerian Zorin and the other comrades remain here, considering that the other ministers have already departed and the rest are planning to leave, so we ought not leave our own minister.
We were thinking about a meeting after our arrival in Moscow, but came to the conclusion that we ought not decide this right now but we'll come and exchange opinions as to whether it ought to be held, and when and who should attend.
Com. Gromyko is not pressuring me himself but evidently by agreement with him Cde. Zorin, the Ukrainians, and the Belorussians [are pressing] to buy a building for [their] mission[s] in New York. It seems that they have already sent on their ideas through their own channels. I admit that I displayed cowardice and didn't find the strength to resist, and yielded to an “evil” influence to some degree. We'll come and I will repent and present myself before a comradely court. A decision will be made after questioning and trial.
I'm riding here in an American Cadillac car. It's a good car, seating seven. Five vehicles were bought before our arrival. I convinced the comrades to whom these cars belonged, rather Cde. Zorin and the others, that we will take the Cadillac with us and send them to Moscow on the Baltika and we'll get one more medium-sized car. If you don't object, then in my opinion a small car ought to be purchased so that our designers can familiarize themselves with modern American automobiles and not invent a camel that has been running around the steppes for a long time, but make better use of [the knowledge] accumulated by American automobile makers. But they manufacture good cars.
Maybe we'll send our own vehicles to replace these cars in order not to lose dollars (this will be after checking; possibly they have some surplus ones). First, our cars are not bad and, second, considerations of prestige ought to be taken into account. This probably ought to be done when a steamship is coming to America in order not to waste money on transport again.
Here Cde. Men'shikov raised his voice that the Embassy in Washington also not be forgotten. Obviously his wishes will also have to be taken into account if he will not behave himself properly.
As you see from the content of our telegram, our mood is not bad. We're criticizing the bourgeoisie, capitalists, and imperialists. We're driving when possible, and the more we drive the more we run up America's bill, for fuel, for police, of which there are a great many, etc.
Com. Janos Kàdàr and his comrades will fly to Moscow with us on the return trip. They are to return with him.
Greetings to everyone from everyone. We're already beginning to count the hours, how many we have left to spend in this goddamn capitalist country and return to our socialist country, how long we have to spend in the den of the Yellow Devil, as Maxim Gorky said of it figuratively, and we will add: not only in the den of the Yellow Devil, but this is a real prison for the American people because the people here are like prisoners in stone sacks: neither greenery, nor the opportunity for a walk crowded with automobiles or walks along dirty sidewalks blackened streets amid constant noise. We inform you of this in order to moderate their passion somewhat if someone suffers from an impatience to see this Yellow Devil.
Khrushchev reports on the proceedings at the United Nations in New York and his delegation's travel plans for returning to Moscow. He mentions his approval of plans to purchase buildings in New York for Ukrainian and Belorussian missions to the UN. He also suggests that they purchase an American car to bring back for the benefit of Soviet auto designers. He concludes with criticisms of the United States and New York.
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APRF, Fond 52, Opis 1, Delo 351, List 48-51. Published in ''Istochnik'', (Moscow) No. 6, 2003, pp. 116-117. Translated by Gary Goldberg.
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