No visit with Andropov for Samantha Smith

July 21, 1983

Maine schoolgirl Samantha Smith learned she will not meet with President Yuri Andropov before leaving the Soviet Union today. Samantha also revealed her surprise gift for Mr. Andropov - a collection of Mark Twain's public speeches. She gave the book to a government official to pass along to him. Mr. Andropov had invited Samantha to visit his country with her parents after she wrote to him asking whether the Kremlin leadership wanted war or peace.