For want of rubber: Romania's affair with Firestone in 1965: part II

Floyd details Romania's affair with Firestone in 1965. American relations with Romania stalled after the failure of the Firestone contract in 1965. the Firestone case demonstrated that the US could not be counted upon to provide Romania with an industrial base that would give it broad economic independence and international prestige. The Firestone contract symbolized American interest in developing closer ties with Romania; in its failure to support the transaction, Washington's Bridge Building policy looked weak and lacking in credibility, not only in Bucharest but also throughout Eastern Europe.