Nixon turns Russian heckling into freedom statement

Vice President Richard M. Nixon traveled to Russia for a friendship tour but was greeted with several questions days after the U.S. Senate passed a resolution stating that the communist Soviets were holding other nations captive.

One Russian yelled out to Nixon, saying that it was Western provocation to say the Soviet Union enslaved other nations.

Nixon’s reply: “I’m in favor of free speech and I am glad you were able to talk.”

Later, Nixon responded to other negative comments about the Senate resolution by officials who said they thought the trip was seeking to foster friendship.

When Premier Nikita “Khrushchev refers to us as imperialists or colonialists we do not like it, and reaction is adverse,” Nixon said. “But we respect his right to say it.

“We believe in the competition of ideas, and there needs to be a competition of ideas to gain the greatest progress for the world.”Rickover’s walkabout

Joining Nixon in Moscow, was U.S. Adm. Hyman Rickover, known as the father of nuclear submarines. Rickover gathered all the U.S. Navy personnel at the U.S. Embassy and led them on an informal fact-finding tour.

Rickover walked up to several Moscow apartments, knocked on the door and inquired how the residents lived, how much money they earned and questioned them about what they wanted out of life.

“It’s the only way to find things out,” Rickover told the embassy personnel.