EXCERPT FROM ANGHEL RUGINA'S REPORT ON HIS TRIP TO ROMANIA September 25 -30, 1967 
A Special Mes sage to President Johnson 
At this point I asked him whether he would be prepared to send a message to the President of the United States. Ceausescu answered in the affirmative. 11 Mr. Rugina, 11 he said, 11 if you have a chance to communicate with President Johnson, this is what I have to say at this moment --in addition to customary official greetings and best wishes for him personally, for his family and for the American people. 
11I want to know where are those 'bridges to the East1 that President Johnson likes to talk about in terms of a new foreign policy? We here in Romania are looking for real bridges of doing business with the United States. But up to now not even one single pillar of those desirable bridges has come to the surface. We do not want any propaganda; we want action. We are interested in dealing with American businessmen and manufacturers on the basis of mutual benefit. The Romanian Govern­ment is willing to discuss and grant any support and certain privileges to Americans and American corporations that want to establish a business or plant in Romania. 
11If there is good will, interest and mutual trust, I am sure there must be some way that the 1bridges to the East1 can become a reality and an instrument for better understanding and better relations between our two countries. The help is needed now and not at some hypothetical future date when we may not need it. We dJ not ask for special favors but rather an opportunity to do honest business and earn our share of benefit from the comparative advantage. In this respect, as I said before, we cannot under stand why American businessmen are not inter ­ested in trading with Romania. I hope that I make clear our position. 11 
In essence this is the verbal message Ceausescu directed to the President, to the best of my recollection.