Kissinger Henry. White House Years

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Butbeforewecouldaffordsentimentality,sometoughnegotiatinglay

ahead.Gromykodidnotappearat10:00a.m.Instead,Dobrynininformedusthat

theSovietleadershipwasreviewingtheSALTpositiononceagain.Brez hnevdid

notshowupfortheplenarysessionthatafternoonintheelegantSt.Catherine’s

Hallwhichdealtwitheconomics, notNixon’sbestorfavoritesubject.Kosygin

chairedtheSovietside,andwasanalyticalandprecise,whichwasmorethan

couldbesaidoftheAmericans,whostucktofamiliargeneralities.Brezhnevwas

clearlyworkingontheSovietSALTposition.



MystaffandIwerefranticallyanalyzingvariouscombinationsoffigures;

thepermutationsseemedendless,butwehadtoensurethattheSoviets

dismantledthemaximumnumberofmissiles.Thenumbersgameofsubmarine

baselines—howmanycouldbetradedin,andwhentheywouldreachdifferent

levelsbyvariouscombinationsoftwelve‐tubeandsixteen‐tubeboats—forcedus

intonumerouscomputationsonlongyellowpads,drawnupbetweensessions

andthenquicklyscratchedupandconsumedduringmeetings.Wenevercould

figureouthowtheSovietscouldreachalevelof950SLBMsonsixty‐two

submarines.[

Forexample,someofthesecalculationsyieldedmystifyingresults:34Y‐class

submarinesx16missiles=544;plus28D‐classsubmarinesx12missiles=336,foratotalof

880;plus30missilesontheH‐class,equaled910.]Theydiditbythesimpledeviceof

assumingthatmostoftheirsubmarineshadsixteentubes,eventhoughtheyhad

severalwithtwelvetubes.



TheSALTdiscussions resumedat5:20p.m.inSt.Catherine’sHall—with,as

usual,onlyahalfhour’swarning.Wewerepreparedandso,ittranspired,were

theSoviets.TheSovietsidewasrepresentedbySmirnov,Gromyko,Dobrynin,and

GeorgiKorniyenko(ChiefoftheUSADivisionoftheForeignMinistry).The

Americangroupwascomposedofme,Sonnenfeldt,Hyland,andRodman.Both

delegationswerescheduledtogototheballetperformanceinNixon’shonor.On

theSovietsideneitherGromykonorDobrynincouldescapethisceremonialduty;

wehadthusanhourfornegotiation.Thediscussionwasbrisk;therewasnotime

foreitherbanterorformalisticpositions.Afteradayofagonizingexchangeswith

WashingtonandHelsinkiithadbeenconcludedthataprohibitiononanychanges

insilodimensionwascompatiblewithourMinutemanIIIprogram,afterall.But,

asIhavesaid,itwastoolate.Gromykoofferedusasa“concession”theposition

ofourdelegationinHelsinki,forbiddingonly“significant”changes;theSoviets

werepreparedalsotonoteaunilateralAmericaninterpretationoftheterm

“significant.”Iinsistedthat“significant”hadtobemutuallyacceptedasnot

exceeding15percent.GromykoandSmirnovsaidtheywouldthinkitover.



Wethenturnedtotheunsolvedissueofthebaselinefromwhichto

calculatethedismantlingofoldmissiles.Smirnovacceptedmyproposalofthe

previousnight,toexpressitintermsofmissilelaunchersratherthansubmarines.

Buthesimplyconvertedtheforty‐eightsubmarinestheSovietsclaimedtheyhad

intolaunchersbymultiplyingthembysixteen(representinglaunchtubes).Thus

theSovietsclaimed768missilesforthebaselineandexcludedmissilesonolder

submarines.Thiswasclearlynonsense,sinceweknewtheyhadanumberofD‐

classsubmarineswithonlytwelvemissileseach.Afteronequickexchange—

duringwhichIsaid,“Iunderstandthearithmetic.Thearithmeticisnothard,the

politicsishard”—S mirnovaccepted740asabaseline.



ThatleftonlythequestionofwhichSLBMswereincludedinit.My

suggestionthatmissilesonbothH‐andG‐classsubmarinesbecountedbrought

anexplosionfromSmirnov,whoinsistedthattheideaofcountingsixtymissiles

witha300‐to700‐milerangeondiesel‐poweredsubmarinesthathadtosurface

beforefiringmustbeajoke.Itriedtoeasetheatmospherebysuggestingthat

maybetheSovietsshouldputtheirmonsterSS‐9ontheG‐classsubmarine,thus

solvingtwoproblemsforusatonce.Smirnovunderstoodthejoke(thatthis

wouldsinkthesubmarines),butGromykothoughtIhadcomeupwithanewidea.

“Pleasebespecific,”hesaid.SmirnovandIgotthingsbackontrackso wecould

resumeourownsparring.Finally,astheclockchimedsix‐thirty,Smirnovasked

mewhatexactlyImeantbyH‐classsubmarinessinceitwasanAmerican,nota

Sovietterm.Itoldhimthatwegavethisdesignationtotheoldernuclear‐powered

submarinescarryingthreemissileseach.Smirnovinnocentlystatedthathehad

alwaysmeantthosetobecountedinthebaseline—apointthathadhitherto

eludedbothmeandournegotiatorsinHelsinki.ThusweretheH‐classsubmarines

includedinthetotal.TheSovietswouldnowhavetodismantleatotalof240

oldermissilestoreachtheagreedlevelof950modernSLBMs,including 

dismantlingalloftheolderheavy‐throwweightICBMs.(Orelsetheycouldkeep

thethirtyH‐classmissiles,inwhichcasetheywouldhaveonly920modern

SLBMs;thisisinfactwhattheydid.)



Twoissuesnowstoodbetweenusandacompletedagreement:howto 

dealwiththemissilesontheG‐classsubmarines,andwithsilomodernization.We

agreedtoreconveneaftertheballet.



TheBolshoiballetperformedSwanLakeinitsusualacrobatic,slightlyflorid

style.BetweenactssupperwasservedtothePresidentialpartyinaVIProom.

KosyginandPodgornydidthehonors;Brezhnev,asPartySecretary,keptoutof

ceremonialevents.HewasalsoprobablyreviewingtheSALTnegotiationswith

Smirnov.Justbeforethethirdactbegan,whilethelightswerealreadydimming,

thewifeofanItalianjournalistintheaudienceshou tedananti‐Vietnamsloganat

Nixon.Itwasanunheard‐ofeventforMoscow.Podgornyimmediatelyhadthe

lightsturnedonagain,andheandNixonroseintheofficialboxtotheapplauseof

theaudience.Itwasagallantgesture.



AftertheperformanceIexplainedtoNixonthatwewerewithinsightofan

agreementifwecouldreconciletheissueofthesixtyoldmissilesonG‐class

boats.MycolleaguesandIhadcomeupwithapossiblesolutionthatwewanted

tosubmitintheeveningsession.Itwasacompromise.Wewouldnotinsiston

countingthesixtyoldmissilesonG‐classsubmarinesinthetotals,unlessthey

weremodernized;butexistingmissilesonG‐classboatscouldnotbe“tradedin”

formissilesonnewsubmarines.Thisservedtwopurposes:Tostaybelowthe

ceilingof950,theSovietswouldhavetodismantleICBMsandmissilesonnuclear‐

poweredsubmarines;andtheycouldnotputmodernmissilesondieselboats

exceptbycountingthem—unlikelyasthiswas,consideringtherelativeeasewith

whichsuchboatsaredetectedandtheshorttimetheycanstayonstation.Nixon

approved.



Thetwonegotiatingteamsmetagainat11:30p.m.inSt.Catherine’sHall.

WebeganwiththeSLBMbaseline.Isummedupmyunderstandingthatthe

Sovietsacceptedthefigureof740missilesasthebaselineandwouldincludethe

thirtymissilesontheH‐classsubmarines.WhentheSovietsideconfirmedthis,I

raisedagaintheissueofmissilesonG‐classsubmarines.Smirnovclaimedthatthe

Sovietshadacceptedourbasicproposalandthatwewerestallinganagreement

byconstantlyraisingfrivolousnewissues.IhadreadtheSovietsacablefromHaig

statingthattheDefenseDepartmentandtheChiefsinsistedthatthe950Soviet

SLBMshadtoincludemissilesonG‐,H‐,andY‐classsubmarines.[

TheChiefs’

positionactuallywouldhaveenabledtheSovietstotradeinsixtyshort‐rangeG‐classmissiles

andkeepseventyheavy‐throwweightICBMsinsilos.Itwaslessfavorabletousthanthe

compromisethePresidentapproved.]Washingtonalsorejectedtheconceptofafreeze

confinedtoICBMs,asSmithhadproposed.Itwouldprefernoagreementtoone

thatletSLBMsrunfree.Smirnov,whowasgettingintothespiritofthings,

rejoinedthathehadsomehair ‐raisingcablesofhisownandwouldbringthemto

thenextmeeting(itwasprobablytrue).GromykoinsistedthattheSovietshad

reachedthelimitoftheirconcessions;nofurthercompromisewaspossible.



Iputforwardourcompromiseanyway.TheSovietswerewithout

instructions,sothediscussionveeredbacktothesilodimensionproblem.The

SovietsheldfasttothetentativeagreementworkedoutinHelsinki,the

prohibitionagainsta“significant”increaseofsilodimensions.TheUScouldmake

itsownunilateralstatementonthemeaningof“significant,”whichwouldnot,of

course,bindtheSoviets.IinsistedthattheSovietsshouldstopquotingthe

delegationagainstthePresidentwhenitservedtheirpurpose;hehadtherightto

overrulehissubordinates.Wewouldagreetothebanon“significant”increasesin

silodimensionsonlyiftherewereanagreedandbindingdefinitionofwhatit

meant.Gromykosuggestedthattherewouldhavetobeahigh‐levelmeetingfor

theSovietstoconsiderourpositiononsilodimensionsandG‐classsubmarines.I

pointedoutthatthiswouldpreventthesigningthenextevening(Friday),which

Brezhnevseemedtohaveinmind.Gromykoagreed.Saturday,itturnedout,

wouldbeunsuitablesincethePresidentwasgoingtoLeningrad.Wetentatively

agreedtoslipthesigningtoSundayevening,May28,provided,ofcourse,allthe

issuesweresettledbeforethen.Itwas12:32a.m.whenthemeetingbrokeup.



IreportedtoNixonthatwewereatanimpassethatonlytheSovietscould

break.Wecouldmakenofurtherconcessions.Therecouldbenosigning

ceremonyonFridaynight;itwouldtakeplace,ifat all,onSunday.Nixonwas

disappointedbutraisednoobjections.Hemumbledthatthesigningceremonyof

SALTmightovershadowhistelevisionaddresstotheSovietpeople,whichhad

alsobeenarrangedforSundaynight.Hewasrestlessbutdeterminedtostaythe

course.



Itisimportanttokeepthissequenceinmindbecausecriticslaterargued

thataself‐imposeddeadlinemadeforhastynegotiation.Thefactwasthatweset

nodeadlines;weusedBrezhnev’sowndeadlinetobringpressureontheSoviets;

weevensuggesteddelayingthesigningbyforty‐eighthours.Whenthemeeting

brokeuponThursdaynight,theoutcomeofthenegotiationdependedona

Sovietdecision;Ihadleftnodoubtthatwehadreachedthelimitofour

concessions.Thesewereidenticalforallpracticalpurpose swiththepositionof

theHelsinkidelegationor(asinthecaseofsilodimensions)animprovement.[

The

delegationinHelsinkiwasworkingonadifferentSLBMformulathatwouldhave reachedmuch

thesamepracticalresultbyredefiningtheterm“underconstruction.”Thedelegationalsotried

toachieveanagreeddefinitionofa“heavyICBM”—sincetheInterimAgreementprohibitedthe

conversionof“light”ICBMlaunchersintolaunchersfor“heavyICBMs.”WhentheSovietsdid

notagree,ourdelegationwasauthorizedtoissueaunilateralstatementdeclaringour

preferreddefinitionandourexpectationthattheSovietsidewould“givedueaccounttothis

consideration.”Weoverestimatedtherestrainingeffectofsuchaunilateralstatement.(Seemy

CongressionalbriefingofJune15,1972.)]Noneoftheissuesthatgaveriseto

controversylateroverSovietcompliance—unfairlyinallcasesexceptone—was

negotiatedatMoscow.



WehadreachedthepointwherealltheAmericansummitteamcoulddo

wastoawaittheoutcomeoftheSoviethigh‐levelmeetingonFriday.Iwasfairly

confidentthattheSovietswouldacceptour“final”proposal.Theycouldnot

permitanegotiationthathadlastednearlythreeyearstogodownthedrainover

theissuesofsilodimension(onwhichtheirownvacillationdemonstratedthatit

wasaclosecall),andthereplacementofmissilesonG‐classdieselsubmarines

(whichanyanalysisindicateditmadenosensetomodernizeanyway).



IthereforesentacabletoHaigrequestingthatheobtainaformalJCS

positiononthecompromise.Itstatedourreasoninginfirmlanguage.After

summingupourproposalIstated:



Presidentisunwillingtoseesome60300‐mileSLBMsstandinthewayofanagreement

thatwillclearlyimposeceilingsonSovietsinregardtoICBMsandSLBMswhichtheycould

readilyexceedinfive‐yearperiodwithoutfreeze—nottomentiontheretirementof240

launchersthisagreementwouldbringabout.



ItshouldalsobeunderstoodthatbasefigurenowformulatedgetsSovietsdownto710

onY‐classboats.ThustheSovietswillhavetoretiresome240launchersincludingallofH‐class

substoreachpermittedtotal.



ThereplyoftheJointChiefswasaclassicofPentagonpolitics.Itagreedto

ourproposal(whichinturnwasonlyaslightmodificationofwhattheChiefshad

approvedbeforeourdeparture).Buttheyattacheda pricetag.ThePresident

wouldhavetopledge“actionnecessarytoensureaccelerationofourongoing

offensiveprogramsaswellasimprovementstoexistingsystems.”Thiswewere

determinedtodoanyhow. Itwasonereasonwhywehadpromotedthefreezein

thefirstplace.ButtheargumentoftheChiefs wasnotwithoutitslogicalflaws:

Theirinsistenceonanaccelerationofourstrategicprogramswasgroundednot

onaSovietbuildupextendingoveradecade,butonsixtyantiquatedSoviet

missilesofminimalrangeondieselsubmarines.HadtheSovietsknownaboutthis

reasoningtheymightwellhavethrowninthesixtyG‐classmissilesinreturnfora

promisenottoaccelerateourstrategicprograms.(Wewouldhaveresistedthis,

butitwouldhavehadmuchCongressionalsupportinAmerica.)



WesettleddowntowaitfortheoutcomeoftheSoviets’deliberations,with

ourdomesticbaseapparentlysecureexceptforrumblingsfromHelsinki,where

Smithseemedconvincedthatwewereholdingoutonhim.(Infact,we

communicatedwhatweknewimmediately.ItwastheSovietswhotooktheirtime

makingdecisions.)Thisledtoatestyexchange.Smith,havingfirstacceptedmyG‐

classformula,changedhismindandcalledita“freeride”fortheSovietsto

maintaintheseboats.ThiswasapositionI wasconvinced,perhapsunfairly,he

wouldneverhavetakenbutforthefrustrationofbeingsofarfromtheconclusion

ofwhathehadeveryreasontoconsiderhisownnegotiation.Wewere,however,

atastagewherethesalvingofbruisedfeelingswouldhavetowait,andIsenta

sharpreply:



Canyouexplainhow60missilesof300‐700milerange,barredfrommodernizationin

dieselsubmarinesthathavetosurfacetofire,representinglessthanthreepercentofthetotal

Sovietforce,couldrepresentafreeride?Whatarewegivingupthatweweregoingtodo?The

SovietsinturngetaceilingontheirSLBMs,abanonmodernizationoftheGclassandlose240

launchers.IftheSovietsrefusetoacceptthecompromiseIwantsomeonetoexplainhowour

securityisenhancedwhenwethenconfronttheGs,theHs,240morelaunchers,andalarger

numberofSLBMs.



TheSovietdecisioncamewithstunningsuddenness.Around10:00a.m.

DobrynincametomyroomintheKremlintotellmethatthePolitburohadbeen

insessionsince8:00;therewasnotellinghowlongitwouldlast.At11:00a.m.we

wereinformedthatGromykoandSmirnovwantedtomeetmeurgentlyinSt.

Catherine’sHall.Weassembledat11:15. WithoutfurtheradoGromykoaccepted

notonlyourpositionontheG‐classandsilodimensionproblem;healsoagreed

toourformulationofit.TheSovietswouldgoalongwithacommondefinitionof

“significant.”



Gromykothenstunnedusevenmorebyinsistingonasigningceremony

thatveryeveningasoriginallyscheduled.Ihavetothisdaynotunderstoodthe

reasonforthisSoviethaste.ItmayhavebeenduetothecharacteristicofSoviet

negotiatorsthatnomatterhowmuchtheymayhavehaggled,onceanagreement

isinsighttheyseempanickedthattheresultsoftheirlaborsmightbehazarded

bysomelast‐minuteaccidentortrickoftheinscrutablecapitalists.PerhapsIhad

beentoopersuasiveinpresentingourdomesticpressuresandtheyfearedthat

someunforeseenobjectionwouldsweepawayallthepainfuladjustments.

PerhapstheyhadanalyzedourphonecallstoWashington.Itwastoughenough

forthemtomakemostoftheconcessions;itwouldbehumiliatingtohavethem

failatthelastminute.ProbablytheSovietssimplywantedtohumorBrezhnev,

whoearlierintheweekhadstakedhisprestigeonaFridayceremony.



WhatevertheSovietreasons,wehadlittlebasisforrefusing.Afterall,they

wereacceptingourproposalsinourformulatio n.Theonlyvalidobjectionwas

thatthefinaldraftingoftwoclauses(alltheresthavingbeencompleted)would

berushed(oneofthem,however,beingourdelegation’sproposal)andthat

damagedegoswouldbealloverthelandscapefromHelsinkitoMoscow.At11:30

Iaskedforarecesstoobtain thePresident’sapproval.At11:47Ireturnedto

informGromykothatwewouldproceed.HeandIreviewedthetextscarefully.

WeagreedtosendjointinstructionstoHelsinki;bothsides’instructionswouldbe

identicalsothatnotimewouldbewastedinclarification.Sonnenfeldtand

KorniyenkosetaboutdraftingthemforGromyko’sandmyapproval.Thesummit

wasnowguaranteedtobehistoric:Neverbeforehadidenticalinstructionsbeen

senttoSovietandAmericannegotiators.



Thentherecamethatfeelingofserenitywhichaccompaniestheconclusion

ofallgreatexertionsinforeignpolicy.“Ithinkthisisaveryimportantmilestonein

therelationsbetweenourtwocountries,”Isaid.“AndIamveryproudtohave

hadtheopportunitytoworkwithyougentlemenonit.”



Gromyko,notgiventohyperbole,repliedinRussian:“Wearesatisfiedwith

themannerinwhichbusinesswasconductedonyourpart,andwetriedto

reciprocate.Theywerereallydifficultanddelicatematterswewereworkingon;

specialistdelegationshavespentalmostthreeyears,asofthisAugust,onit.Itis

reallyagoodend,arealmilestone.”AndthenhejokedinEnglish:“Weare

significantlysatisfied,evenmorethanfifteenpercent.”



SoendedthenegotiationonSALTI.



Butitwasnotyettheendofourlabors.AsinChina,wepaidthepricefor

ouradministrativepractices,beingcalleduponagaintoplacatethegroupthat

hadbeenexcludedfromtheconsummationofitsownnegotiation.Wewereno

moresuccessfulinMoscowthaninHangchow.Partofthetensionwascausedby

technicalmalfunctions.WhenGromykoandIagreedaroundnoontosendjoint

instructions,I hadSonnenfeldtcallSmithonanopenlinetoinformhimthat

instructionswereontheway.Sinceonly twoissueswereinvolved,andperhaps

fivetotensentences,wethoughtthedelegationscouldconcludetheirworkand

returnafterwardtoMoscowontheAmericanplaneintimeforasigning

ceremonyat8:30.Wedidnotrealizethatourdelegation’splanehadpiston

enginesandthereforewouldtaketwoandahalfhourstoreachMoscow.Nordid

wecalculatethedelayintransmissionduetoroutingtheinstructionsthroughthe

WhiteHouseSituationRoom—where,tomakemattersworse,throughamix‐up

theyweregivennospecialpriority.Asaresult,whiletheSovietinstructions

reachedHelsinkiwithinfortyminutes,ourshadnotyetarrivedaftertwohours.

Smith,nowthoroughlyaroused,rightlyrefusedtoworkfromtheSoviettext,

thoughassuredbySonnenfeldtthattheinstructionswerejoint.Nevertheless,

afterrepeatedphoneconversationswhichthrewsecuritytothewinds(therewas

noharminitsincetheSovietsandwehadagreed)andthefinalunsnarlingof

communications,thetwodelegationssettowork andcompletedajoint

documentontheAmericandelegation’splanetoMoscow.ItwasaHerculean

effortcrowningyearsofdedicatedlabor.



Inthemeantime,wehadpushedbackthesigningceremonyto 11:00p.m.

toenableourdelega tiontoparticipateandSmithtojoinmeinapressbriefing

scheduledfor10:00p.m.Nixon’sdinnerforBrezhnevandotherSovietleaders,

longplannedforthatevening,wasmovedupanhourtofilltheinterval.



Unhappily,whenSmithandhiscolleaguesarrivedattheairport,another

indignityfrayedtheiralreadytautnervesevenfurther.WehadsentEmbassycars

topickthemup.Butforsomereasonthesehadbeendeniedentrytothetarmac.

WhetherthiswasadeliberateSovietployorabullheadedapplicationoflocal

rulesbyaminorfunctionary—Isuspectthelatter—itmeantthatnoAmerican

greetedSmithaftermakingwhathehadeveryreasontoconsideramajor

contributiontoaproudachievement.(Ofcourse,alltheseniorAmericansin

MoscowwereatNixon’sdinnerforBrezhnev,whichonlyexacerbatedmatters.)

RatherthanlookfortheAmericancars,SmithaskedhisSovietcolleagueSemenov

tohelpout.SmithwantedtogotoourEmbassytojoinmeinthebriefing,butthe

SovietdriverinsistedontakinghimtotheKremlin.Moreover,Smith’snotesfor

hisbriefingremarkswerewithanothercolleaguewhohaddepartedinanother

carfortheEmbassy.NothingwashappeningattheKremlin,sincemostofthe

AmericanpartyhadleftforSpasoHouse,theresidenceofourAmbassador,where

thedinnerwasendingandthebriefingwastotakeplace.ThereIdelayedthe

startofthebriefingtowaitforSmith,wonderingwhathadhappenedtohim;

Smithnotonlywastojoinmeinthebriefingbut(Ithought)hadtheofficialtexts

forthesigningceremony.



AttheKremlin,PeterRodmanofmystaffobtainedaSovietmotor‐poolcar

andtookSmithtotheEmbassy.Finally,Smithshowedup,enragedtothepointof

incoherence—andnotwithoutreason.Ihavenotbeenabletothisdayto

convincehimthatwhathappenedwasnotdeliberatebutasuccessionof

compoundingerrors.Thesummitpartywasnearlyasdiscomfitedbyhisdelayas

he.Hewasthevictimofhonestbungling,thoughitmustbeadmittedthatthe

administrativepracticesoftheNixonAdministrationtendedtoinflictthissortof

indignityondecentandablemen,usuallybyaccident,occasionallybydesign.

ThereisnoquestionbutthatSmithdeservedbetter.



HavingstatedthatSmithhadacase,Imustalsorecountthatheworehis

unhappinessonhissleeve.Woundedprideandrageweresoill‐concealedthathe

nearlyturnedthebriefingintoashambles.Thebriefingtookplaceinthecafeteria

oftheEmbassy,nexttoSpasoHouse.Ibegan,butSmithinastagewhisper

grumbledthathedidnotknowexactlywhatthetreatycontained.Thiswasnot

likelytoinspireconfidenceinthepress;soIinterruptedmypresentationtotake

Smithintoananteroomtotrytocalmhimdown.Thatbarelyaccomplished,I

resumed,explainingthegeneralpr inciplesoftheagreement.Smiththenfollowed

withabriefanalysisofitsprovisionsthatmadeupindetailedprecisionwhatit

lackedinpassionateadvocacy.Therewastimeforonlyoneortwoquestions

beforeeverybodyhadtoleaveforthesigningceremony.MaxFrankeloftheNew

YorkTimes,oneoftheablestjournalistsIknow,stressedthathefeltboundtotell

usthetreatywouldturnintoapublicrelationsfiascounlessthepresscouldask

morequestionsandclearupambiguitiesonwhichopponentsweresuretofocus.



Thesigningceremonywentoffsmoothlyenough,withtheSoviet

participantswinningyetagainthedailyraceintothehall.Smithreturnedtohis

hotel;IwenttomyquartersintheKremlin;thestaffscatteredtocelebrate.Isaw

nosenseinfurtherbriefings,whichwouldproduceonlyadditionalevidenceof

tensionswithinourofficialparty.



Wellaftermidnight,Zieglercalledto theeffectthatFrankelhadbeenright.

TheSALTstoryhadthemakingsofadisaster.Thetermsoftheagreementwere

tootechnical,thetensionsintheAmericandelegationtooobvious.Murrey

Marderphonedafewminuteslaterwiththesameimpressions.Journalists

pretendthattheyarenotinvolvedintheirstories.Thisisnonsense.Theirtestof

professionalexcellenceisobjectivityregardlessofinvolvement.Andthebest

journalistspassionatelybelievedinSALT;theywantedtohavebeenpresentwhen

abeginningwasmadeonturningaroundthenucleararmsrace.Theywould

reportthetruthastheysawit,butonthisoccasiontheywouldgiveusevery

opportunitytoexplainthattruth. 



HaldemanhadreceivedthesamereportsfromZieglerandthroughhim

Nixonwasinformed.Haldemanwasnearpanicthatthetreatywouldnotbe

properlyreceived.Nixonfearedarevolt byhisconstituencyontheright,andsaw

inSmith’sconductanexampleoftheGeorgetownandEasternEstablishment

conspiracyagainsthim—whichwashighlyunfair.Smithhadbeenill‐used(and

laterdefendedtheagreementwithvigorandskill).NixonandHaldeman

thereforeinsistedthatIalonegiveanotherbriefingtoplacethetreatyinabetter

context.



Thiswastheoriginofthebizarrepressconferencethatbeganat1:00a.m.,

themorningofSaturday,May27,myforty‐ninthbirthday.Istoodonthe

bandstandoftheStarrySkynightcluboftheIntouristHotel,whichwasthe

headquartersofthetraveling press.Thenightclubhasbeendescribedaslooking

“liketheRoselandBallroom,vintage1935.Kissingerstoodonthedancefloor,the

FrankSinatraofdiplomacy,occasionallyclutchinghisonlyprop,astanding

microphone.”

ForanhourIdescribed,aswellasIcouldinmyexha ustionafter

thethreeall‐nightsessions,theprovisionsoftheABMtreatyandtheoffensive

freeze,answeredquestionsandsoughttoexplainthesignificanceofapackageof

complexdocumentsthatwereeitheraturningpointoranotherimpulsetothe