MEETING BETWEEN ERIC JOHNSTON AND NIKITA KHRUSHECHEV ON 6 OCTOBER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000700150036-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 22
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 4, 2006
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: December 12, 1958
• Content Type: MEMO

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O/DCI/Qinf 12 Dec 58
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State Department review completed
MORI/CDF
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CONFIDENTIAL
October 10, 1958
SUBJECT: Meeting Between Eric Johnston and N. Khrushchev on October 6, 1958
Before leaving Moscow, Mr. Eric Johnston left with -the Embassy
a copy of his account of his discussions with the Chairman of the
Council of Ministers, N. S. Khrushchev, on October 6, 1958. Following
is the complete text as written by Mr. Johnston.
' .aving been called back from Tashkent on Friday night (October 3),
I met with Zhukov at 11 AM Saturday morning (October 4). He infdrmed
me that he would notify me Sunday morning (October 5) as to the details
of my trip to see Khrushchev. On Sunday morning I received a telephone
call from Mr. Sofinsky that I would be picked up at the hotel at 1:45
AM Monday morning (October 6). About 6 o'clock Sunday evening I was
again telephoned by Mr. Sofinsky that the plans had been changed,
that I was to be in my room by 12 o'clock midnight and was not to leave
the room. At 12:45 Mr. Zhukov would pick me up at uar apartment. He
would not telephone me and I was not to meet him out front. Mr. Zhukov
was there promptly at 12:45 AM (October 6). We left in a black ZIS
for the Moscow airport.
Upon arrival we went to the second floor to a private room. It
was about 1:45. We stayed in this room until 2:20 when Mr. Zhukov
announced it was time to go. We walked out onto the field and got
into a private plane No. 025. It was manned by Air Force personnel.
When we got on the plane there were two other gentlemen, Mr. Yury
Volsky and Mr. Troyanovsky, the interpreter. The plane was spotlessly
clean, even the toilets. It was furnished in light blue and white with
two large davenports and five large swivel chairs. We took off about
2:45? I did not know the destination. I was given one of the daven-
ports and a blanket. The davenport was not long enough to lie down on,
but I did manage rest of a sort.
Later in the morning (October 6) at about 10 minutes to 8, we
landed at Adler on the Black Sea. We were met by a ZIS car and
CONFIDENTIAL
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(CId71'1/ICdlloll)
esp. Nd,-
From_-mo-aCiow. -_---
hmffeur, and driven like mad around the Black Sea. It looked like
the t area between the French and Italian fliverias. It was a perfect
day, with a cloudless sky, and I was quite impressed with the general
surroundings. About one hour later we were driven to a home,, some 3
or 4 hundred feet above the Black Sea, in a plane called Gagra. We
went up to solid iron gates., honked the horn,, and they were opened by
a can. We drove through well-groomed grounds with orange and banana
tress and a variety of carefully cultivated flowers,
The house was fairly large, well furnished, and well kept. A
ehaf with a white coat and white cap and 5 girl servants were around
t place. All were dressed in uniforms I was given a large double
room with bath and told that I could bathe and shave and we would have
breakfast. We reached the home at Gagra at about 865, We assemble.l
for breakfast about 10 o'clock. After a sumptuous breakfast we took
oft for our final destination,, Petsunda, about an hour's drive away.
Again we drove like mad, mostly on two sereoohing wheels., through a
beautiful territory. For about a mile before we reached Khrushchev93
hie the road was lined with tall. cypress trees. At the end of this
grove was a small village on the Black Sea. On the other side of
this village we came to a halt before a solid iron gate with one
soldier standing guard. Zhukov spoke a few words to him but presented
no credentials. The gates were opened inanedia tely ,and we found our-
selves inside. The grounds, large and spacious, were enclosed only
with a wire mesh fence not more than four feet high. I saw no other
guards or security forces of any kind during my visit. The house,
which looked new, is large and square, It is a two-story white stucco
home situated on the edge of a large grove of what I was informed were
very rare trees. I have forgotten the name, The bark on these trees
had the appearance of yellow pine but the needles were more like cedar.
The forest floor was clean as though it had been carefully raked, We
stopped in front of the house but were not taicen into its rather we
were led around the west side to the beach, which is composed of large
pieces of gravel with no sand. A slated board walk, perhaps three
feet wide, extended for a half mile or more down the beach. There were
several cabanas scattered along the board walk. The canvas on the
cabanas were colored blue or white, or both. Later M:r. Khrushcmhev was
to inform me that one large cabana was a guest house for those who
liked to sleep next to the water, while others were merely dressing
rooms @
We walked down the board walk for a couple of hundred feet to a
platform covered by a large umbrella under which were several chairs
and a table with fresh fruit and dishes. Zhukov pointed out to me
that Khrushchev was coming down the walk. Indeed he was. I quickly
saw that he was?hatless, and was wearing a blue suit somewhat like the
seersucker type we wear in Washington in the summer. A Georgian white
shirt with blue embroidery was tied by a string at the neck. Sandals
were on his feet. His bald head was fringed with closely cropped
hits hair. He is a man of short stature with a bull book and a large,
. girth
CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL P23
( ?a,n uahnh
_ ors
girth. He reeted me with a mf',-;-y twinkl.e In h1.af eye axiu irounediatC*IS11
started the conversation by saylog;, "Mikayan has gust told tl:, d0out:
you6 He left here yesterday .for Mot:cow, You kzz,~wr I had a hard Lime
getting rid of him, T thought he waa never going to leave."
I replied that i hn.d me't Mtk,,y'nzi in l9l4 t..
A breeze writ: blowing aoroati the S'lr'iok .Fd and hc?u::t:;liev wivecl
?ia hand and sa1d.; a?This t?.4 i told wlyda Jr a cotui.n?; tr. to vaut' ally
turicety. I presume:: we could t3_xreCSHLHC V appeared particularly to place emphasis on
surpassing the United States sooncmieel]y and in production per capita prior
to the end of his second Sewn-Year Plan.
Vhmn asked whether or not he thougrht a visit by iCN}" rsHamy to the united
$tat** wed be lel+tul to KM=O='s Understanding of the United States,
JWGTOX replied that he vas doubtful that it would change any of 8( il-'s
very deolded mss isgpMastons at America Ualess he could remain here far a
r % a
CRET
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SEC1'IET
fairly considerable period of time. He expressed the opinion that a short
visit in which PgiRUSHC I V was wined, dined j and entertained vould not affect
him in the slightest. Be believed that h I1C1T V would merely translate his
various mis?1,mcpreastone into antagonisms unless he could remain here for a
Lang enough period of tiaae to persuade himself that certain of his Impressions
mere in feat erroneous.
Distribution:
1 - Art Minnich (in Gen. Goodpaster's absence, for the President)
1-DCI
1-DDCI
1 - Act DD/P
I - Act DD/I
1 - Mr. Bissell
SECRET
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