Era of Good Feeling (Soviet Model 1955) Hits the Hague

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP65-00756R000600040031-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 4, 2000
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: March 28, 1955
• Content Type: DISP

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Approved For Release 2000/08/23: CIA-RDP65-00756ROfdfi ,
Foreign Service Despatch Desp. No. 1)41 607.1161/8.1055
To' The Hague
Ref: Department's Circular Instruction CA 6473 of March 28, 1955.
For Dept- 13 Action OLI-6 Info : Dept. RM/R.2 EL . 5 S K2
Recd 0-15 Other: C1n.7 Army -4 Navy-3 Air-3 D 276330
Subject: Era of Good reeling Soviet Model 1955) H'Lts %he Hague
From the date of ray arrival here in 1953 untilrrecently the Soviet Ambassador,
Mr. S.F. KIRSANOV, has maintained with his western colleanues a genial,
though distant, attitude and at formal gatherings of the diplomatic corps has chatted
in halting French or more halting English on such non-controversial subjects as
the weather, va.cations,the theater, or sports. Xs far as T am concerned, our
meetings have been limited to formal :receptions at his, our or other Embassies
and an occasional dinner at a Dutch official's home.
In recent weeks, however, as has been reported, some of his service attaches
(there were none until this year) have been making. dvances, under the Soviet
Ne--T Course of Good Manners and Friendship, to our service attaches and
occasionally have come forth with bits of information about the Soviet scene of
slight intelligence value to us without on their part, as yet, seeking to probe
for their own intelligence purposes. ( I am told, however, that they have made
such probing efforts with Dutch military and naval offi.cers.) Just before the
Geneva Conference Mr. Ki,rsanov approached me at the French .6mbassy and
remarking that he had had his tennis court repaired invited me to play. We fixed
a date of August 2 and the match began at 5 n.m. The court is loeated in the
gardens between the three large houses occupied as a sort of Jovi- t Embassy
compound and it turned out to be a good one. the quality of my opponent's game,
however, was not: it leaves much to be desired by any standard. He started the
match by offering me a whisky, probably withthe thought of narrowing the gap
between us, but I declined. We proceeded totally for twenty minutes after which
he suggested a rest in the shade of his secluded apple trees. During this inter-
mission we chatted about trees, gardens, and sport ( the ussians play much
volleyball but little tennis, he said); of the fine atmosphere at the Geneva
Conference where one had learned to discuss mutual points of view calmly and
without nrovocati?n; the relative interest of the present exchange of farmers visit
in Iowa and in Russia and the hospitality shown and benefits expected to be derived
therefrom. his last led to -the only point off'' substance; Mr. Kirsanov said th!t
unfortunately Soviet agriculture was not in good shape and. expanded production
was necessary if the growing urban industrial population is t o be adequately
nourished and if the needed l~ussian traditional exports of whe'?t are to be made
to maintain traditional markets. He gave, however, no indicati^n as to methods
by which this w-rlld be brought about.
We then resumed play and after I h ,;d taken three sets at 6-0, 6-1, 6-0, we
decided mutually and tacitly that it hardly seemed worthwHa.le to continue counting
the sets. During this time, the we rk` nsl day being over, members of his staff and
families and children, strolled around in the gardens, or played open Air chess,
showing unconcealed interest in our g ame withnutiJ however, approaching the court to
constitute a form-1 audience. "fter I had observed - and had been observed
observing - what seemed to be two stealthy MVD officers in the best movie tradition
peering from un upstairs window they hastily ducked and were seen no more. Duz?ing
our game my chauffeur was invited into t he garden for the first time si nee he has
been in the Embassy's employ and Qsutpplied with a drink of vodka and a package o-
5 9 ?t ~ D sl ~ &4 6k r1- 6 'I -t~ worth the
State Dept. declassification instructions on file
 Approved For Release 2000/08/23 : CIA-RDP65-00756R000600040031-8
']esp. No. l1 , 607.1161/8.1055 cont'd. from the Hague
Following the game we again sat under the apple tree, this time indulging
in a couple of bottles of lemonade - another American victory in rejecting the
whisky without offence. He was friendly throughout and was obviously making
his bet effort to promulgate the new boating- berrying-bantering atmosphere and
concluded by urging,, another match and offering the court for me and any of my
collaborators at anytime we wished. He is leaving for av cation in the Caucasus,
he says, August 15, 1955.
I understand that on his initiative he played a similar match with our
wrench colleague and has also invited Secretary Ueneral van Tuyll of the Foreign
Office for a tennis turn. the word must have come down to DLiy the Westerners at
their own games and relax and enjoy it. But it can't be fun for Kirsanov
unless his tennis teacher produces better results.
Approved For Release 2000/08/23 : CIA-RDP65-00756R000600040031-8