CBS News now presents a special report on one of the most unusual diplomatic events
in recent history, the Nixon-Khrushchev Moscow debate.
Moscow, the heart of world communism, yesterday became, for a day, the headquarters of an
unprecedented and startling international debate, featuring on the one hand Soviet Premier
and Nikita Khrushchev, the irrepressible and outspoken leader of communism.
On the other, the Vice President of the United States, Richard Nixon, capped in the role
of defender of capitalism and American foreign policy.
Mr. Nixon, as you know, arrived in Moscow this week to open the American exhibition
there.
He paid a courtesy call on Premier Khrushchev yesterday at the Kremlin.
After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, the two began trading verbal brick banks in
a heated discussion on Cold War issues.
Part of the unscheduled fireworks was recorded on videotape while they toured the television
studio at the American exhibition.
The tape was flown to New York by a representative of the Ampex Corporation videotape equipment
manufacturers.
And here now is that videotape recording of one of the most unusual foreign policy debates
shortly after it got underway.
We Americans only want to live in peace and friendship.
We are a powerful state.
If we are friends, we will be friends with other countries.
If there is a very military one, we can pull it by the ear and say, don't you dare.
We only want to live with Americans in peace and friendship because we ourselves are a
powerful country and we will be friendly with each other.
Other countries will be friendly too.
And if anybody comes in a fighting mood, we could pull his ear ever so little and tell
him, don't dare.
Wars are not allowed now.
This is a time of atomic weapons.
Any fool could start a war, but no person in his right mind would want the war to continue.
And consequently, that's how we guide ourselves in our policy, both in our internal building
and international policy.
We wish you success.
You could show us American possibilities and then we could say, here is what American possibilities
are.
How many years has America existed already?
300?
150 years of independence.
Well then, we will say America has existed 150 years and this is her level of achievement.
We have existed not quite 42 years and seven years from now we will be on the same level
of achievement as America.
In the following years, we shall continue to surge ahead.
And when we shall overtake you at the crossroads, we shall wave at you.
And after that, if you wish, we can stop and tell you, please follow us.
As to the question of social systems, if you want to live under capitalism, go ahead and
live.
That's your business.
This is your internal affair.
It doesn't concern us.
We can only sympathize with you, but after all, if you don't know how to live, live
as you know.
The main thing that I want to say is that we are very happy at the arrival in Moscow
of Vice President Nixon.
We wish to express our gratitude to the President who has sent a message which I haven't read
yet, but I am aware in advance of its good intent and I can only express my gratitude.
I hope that you will be satisfied with your stay here.
I cannot talk without an if.
If your Congress hadn't passed that resolution, your trip would have been wonderful.
You yourself have troubled the water.
What did you do it for?
God knows.
What happened?
Which black cat appeared among you and twisted your senses?
You adopted a senseless resolution.
However, this is your business and we will not interfere in your internal affairs.
From what you have seen of our exhibition, how do you think it has been of interest to
the people of the Soviet Union?
Well, I have not had much of an opportunity to see it yet, but I have seen a great number
of photographers and, as has, of course, the President and the Prime Minister.
I think, though, that from what I have seen, that it is a very effective exhibit and it
is one that will cause a great deal of interest.
As far as Mr. Khrushchev's comments just now, they are in the tradition we learned to expect
from him of speaking extemporaneously and frankly whenever he has an opportunity.
And I am glad that he did so on our color television at such a time as this.
Of course, later on we will both have the opportunity to speak this evening and, consequently,
I will not comment on the various subjects that he raised at this point, except to say
this.
This, Mr. Khrushchev, is one of the most advanced developments in communication that we have,
at least in our country.
It is color television, of course.
It is, as you will see in a few minutes, and we will see the very picture of your speech
and of my comments that has been transmitted, it is one of the best means of communication
that has been developed.
And I can only say that if this competition, which you have just described so effectively,
in which you plan to outstrip us, particularly in the production of consumer goods, if this
competition is to do the best for both of our people and for people everywhere, there
must be a free exchange of ideas.
There are some instances where you may be ahead of us.
For example, in the development of the thrust of your rockets for the investigation of outer
space.
There may be some instances, for example, color television, where we're ahead of you.
But in order for both of us to benefit, for both of us to benefit, you see, you never
can beat anything.
In what are they ahead of us?
Wrong, wrong.
We are ahead of you in rockets as well as in this technique.
We do not capitulate.
I think it would be interesting for you to know that this program is now being reported
on antarctic color TV, and it can be played back immediately, and you can't tell that
this is a live program.
And you see, I share the enthusiasm of Soviet engineers about the cleverness of the American
people.
We always knew they were clever.
Foolish people could never raise the economy to such a level of achievement.
But we do, as you know.
Don't kill flies with our nostrils.
For 42 years we have gone ahead and we're worthy partners now.
So let's compete.
The system that will give the people more goods will be the better system and victorious.
Let's have a far more communication and exchange in this very area that we speak of.
We should hear you more on our television.
You should hear us more on yours.
Let's do it this way.
Television, of course, is all right.
You appear, but there is no one around, and then everything is put in story.
Let's do it as follows.
You appear before our people and we'll appear before yours.
This will be much better.
People will see with their own eyes.
I am giving you one move ahead.
You must not be afraid of ideas.
That's what we're telling you.
Don't be afraid of ideas.
We have nothing to fear.
The time has passed when ideas scare us.
Well, then let's have more exchange of them.
We all agree on that, right?
Agreeing with what?
Of course I agree, but I want to clarify what I agree with.
I have a right.
I know that I am dealing with a good lawyer.
And that's why I want to be in my good miner's form.
So that the miners could say, here he does not give in.
He's one of us.
You can say you're a lawyer for capitalism and I'm a lawyer for communism, so let's compete.
All that I can say from the way you talk and the way you dominate the conversation,
you would have made a good lawyer yourself.
But what I mean is this. Here you can see the type of tape which will transmit this very conversation immediately.
And this indicates the possibilities of increasing communication.
And this increase in communication will teach us some things and it will teach you some things too.
Because after all, you don't know everything.
If I don't know everything, then I would say that you know absolutely nothing about communism.
Nothing except fear of it.
If I don't know something, then you don't know anything about communism except fear.
We are now conducting an argument on unequal terms. The equipment is yours.
You speak English and I speak Russian.
Your English words are being recorded.
They will be shown and they will be heard.
What I have to say is being translated only into your ears, but the American people will never hear it.
I repeat, the terms are unequal.
There isn't a day that goes by in the United States when we can't read everything that you say in the Soviet Union,
when you're not fully recorded in what you said in Parliament.
In fact, when Mr. Kozlov was traveling in California, talking in terms of, as very properly as you have, about peace,
you were talking somewhat the other way and it was reported in our press very extensively.
And I can assure you that never make a statement here that you don't think we read in the United States.
Everything I tell you in Russian should be recorded in the English language.
In the US?
No, right here.
Oh, it's done.
No, no, no, it is being recorded in the English language and you will be showing it in the English language.
I would like everything I say to be translated into the English language.
Do you give your word?
We have all of these recorders here.
We have every word that you have said, every word that you have said has been taken down
and I will promise you that every word that you have said here will be recorded in the United States
and they will see you say it on television.
I doubt it.
That's why I want you, the Vice President, to give your word that my speech will be recorded in the English language.
It will be, yes,
certainly it will.
Your hand.
And at the same token, everything that I say will be recorded and translated
and will be carried all over the Soviet Union.
That's a fair bargain.
Everything will be translated into Russian.
And so it went.
Khrushchev and Nixon exchanging jabs and jibes in a rough and tumble public debate
at the American Exhibition in Moscow.
The result of their dramatic exchange, of course, remains to be seen.
Only time can assess the value of their discussion.
In any event, the world has been treated to an unusual and unprecedented debate.
This is Ron Cochran in New York.
CBS News has just presented a special report on the Nixon-Khrushchev Moscow debate at the U.S. Exhibition in Moscow.