National Affairs: Krushchev Debates with U.S. Labor Leaders

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Knight: Why do you oppose a demoeratic vote for reunification of Germany?

K.: It depends not on me but on the two Germanys.

Knight: Why did the Russians interfere in Hungary?

K.: There was no interference. There was a counterrevolution, thugs and hooligans who received arms from outside and took power in Budapest. And the government asked us for aid, and we gave it, and we're proud of it. We are proud of it as a feat. There would be fascism there if we had not.

Reuther: Was Nagy a fascist? I thought he was a Communist.

K.: Don't mix good things with dirt.

Reuther: You advocate more trade. How come you oppose a free flow of ideas?

K.: As head of the working class, I will protect workers from capitalist propaganda.

Reuther: I have been criticized by the reactionary press as a Moscow agent and by you as a lackey of Wall Street.

K.: We are progressing toward Communism, and you want to strengthen capitalism. You have your point of view; we have ours. They're irreconcilable.

Feller: The Communist Party proclaims itself to be the liberator of the working class; yet we see mass exodus of workers in other countries following the Communist seizure of power. Can you tell us of a single instance where there has been a mass influx of workers from surrounding non-Communist countries into the Communist country?

K.: Is that all? Think it over. Drink your beer. Perhaps that will help you to find the answer to your question.

Reuther (handing K. a schedule of U.S. wage rates): How can he say these people are wage slaves exploited by capitalism, making these kind of wages in America? How can he say that they have nothing to lose but their chains?

K.: We say what we do in retaliation for what you say about us. Take, for example, [A.F.L.-C.I.O. President] Meany's speeches. They sound like Dulles.

Reuther: We have our disagreements, and we recall you had some disagreements with Molotov. However, when we have disagreements, no one is exiled.