Met General Secretary Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev at 5:30 AM. [PM]
He also has a slur (much less than Mao [Zedong] but appreciable) and his mind wanders when I was responding to his opening statement he was attracted by ink spots he got from an open American fountain [pen] (Minister [Andrei] Gromyko was apparently trying to cover up by wise-cracking “Throw it away. It is an American fountain pen” and laughing). Then the thunder and lightning distracted him. Even when I cut short my statement, he was moving around and he finally gave me a Russian fountain pen which I exchanged with my gold fountain pen.
Both were unfortunately empty of ink. Both would not write!
But we exchanged coins anyway. Imelda had to borrow a coin from outside—a Russian security man.
I explained the reason for the coins. This interested him—the coins to blunt the point of the pen or blade so it will never be used against the giver.
So he brought us to a mosaic of wood from Sakhalin and a painting of him in full Marshall’s uniform. He explained he had 55 medals.
Imelda laughed “Pres. Marcos won only 27 medals in the war, so he is far behind.” This seemed to delight him
I congratulated him on his elevation to full Marshall. He liked this too.
I believe he is a little senile. The other leaders like Gromyko may be pinch-hitting for him. They may be shielding him from the public.
Thus his infrequent public appearances.
Pres. Nikolai Podgorny is more up to it.
This morning (Tuesday) after the visit to Lenin’s tomb where he is mummified and preserved lying down, and the laying of the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we resumed our conversation with Pres. Podgorny.
No Official Gazette entry for this day.
It is unknown where this text comes from because the handwritten entry is missing, what is available are the transcriptions from PCGG Vol. 5 pp.129-131,
They have no oil or gas to spare. They will help in hydroelectric projects and increase trade.
I brought up the fact that they are buying coconut oil through Mitsubishi. And he promised that there would be no more Japanese or Singapore middlemen.
Raw Uranium—they do not supply any to countries whose nuclear power plants are not furnished by them. So none for us.
He mentioned Libya in passing when we were pursuing the subject of military bases, as the example of a small country firmly asserting its rights for the dismantling of American bases.
This had come about because I told them we were under pressure from Americans who must feel offended because I had initiated the dismantling of SEATO [Southeast Asian Treaty Organization], was the spokesman of the Group of 77 in the Nairobi UNCTAD [United Nations Conference on Trade and Development] last May where I presented the Manila Declaration and Programme of Action which opposes openly the American position and we have sought the renegotiation of the three military agreements with the U.S. from the starting point that no agreements exist and the bases are not American bases but Philippine bases, extraterritoriality should be eliminated.
Minister Gromyko, after the remarks of Pres. Podgorny when he called my predecessor weak and even servile and congratulated me for my stand suggesting a firm stand, then remarked that my efforts if they succeed will strengthen the position of the weak nations but that the nations of Southeast Asian have not been too vocal in protesting American intervention.
Before this Pres. Podgorny also observed that the Southeast Asian nations seemed to be clinging to the United States which I denied. Sec. [Carlos] Romulo also spoke out on Seato.
So I moved into Libya and asked that the arms sold to her be not sent to the Philippines explaining that the secessionist movement is under control, 17,000 having surrendered to our government with their arms and their capability limited to ambuscade.
Sec. Romulo stated that the Libyan Foreign Minister had openly boasted in the Istanbul Islamic Conference this year (last month) that they had sent arms to the Muslim secessionists.
Pres. Podgomy said they were not aware that Libya was sending arms to the Philippines and that the condition of the Russia sale of arms was that these would not be sent to any other country. Minister Gromyko intervened and said “except the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] or other Arab countries was inasmuch as all Arab countries are at war with Israel”) and if there should be occasions for it (as Sec. Romulo suggested) he would call the attention of the Libyans to it.
So I explained the ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] and pointedly stated we are not clinging to the Americans because otherwise I would not have initiated the dismantling of SEATO, nor taken the position for a new world economic order in the Group of 77 meeting in Manila that produced the Manila Declaration and Programme nor seek the renegotiation of the military and trade agreements.
“We will manage, Mr. President,” I said quietly. “’We will stand on our own two feet.”
Deputy President AP [Artur] Vader, Deputy chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and chairman of the Presidium of the Estonian Supreme Soviet, who would the following day, he guided me around the Kremlin and the Frunze Military Academy (a Command and General Staff School type for field grade officers) where we were shown the Sam 6 range about 8 kilometers and Cotulla 2 shoulder rocket against aircraft (Range about 4 kilometers) confirmed that the Soviet leaders were impressed by my candor and liked the way things turned out.
Of course Pres. Podgorny said to himself at the close of the conversations at about 12:45 AM [sic].
So did Deputy Masarov, Minister Gromyko.
And the interpreter who has become my friend confidentially told me that the Russian leader, Pres. Podgorny, has [started] to like and admire me sincerely.