A Call on a Cold Prospect

While Khrushchev worked the East, another Russian traveling salesman. Deputy Premier Anastas Mikoyan, worked the West. On his way home from Castro's Cuba, Mikoyan was due to make a fueling stop in Norway. Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen politely invited him to have lunch at the Oslo airport. Mikoyan cabled back exuberantly: DELIGHTED TO SEE MY FRIEND GERHARDSEN AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT. I CAN STAY IN OSLO TWO DAYS.

The astonished Norwegian Foreign Office hurriedly arranged a program for Mikoyan, and wondered what important object the wily Anastas had in mind. In his first speech in Norway, Mikoyan declared that the Soviet Union had never attacked any country (Finnish, Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian papers, please copy) and would not attack Norway either. Turning to Prime Minister Gerhardsen, he asked: "Can you promise me the same?" Said one stunned Norwegian: "Has Mikoyan come here simply to get a promise that Norway will not attack the Soviet Union?"

Then Mikoyan went off to address the Norwegian Students Association. As he labored through a recital of Russia's peaceful intentions, Mikoyan remarked that the Czechs had chosen Communism of their own free will. A Norwegian student got to his feet, said: "Excuse me, Deputy Premier. Do you also mean that the Hungarian people have chosen Communism by free will? We have many Hungarian students here at the university, and they don't agree with you."

Mikoyan's mustached smile turned to an angry frown as he laid down the Communist view of history. The Red government of Rakosi, he said, did many wrong things and came into opposition with the Hungarian people; then reactionaries and villainous Americans started the revolution. And when Budapest asked the Soviet Union for help, it responded, because "of course, we help our friends." As for the "Hungarian students here in Oslo, I would only say that their hands are stained with blood."

The Norwegians responded with prolonged hissing and booing. Snapped Mikoyan: "I am not afraid of that sort of yelling. I'm used to it. During my stay in the U.S. last year, I had the same experience every day."

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