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Conversation 022-105

TapeTape 22StartTuesday, April 11, 1972 at 10:49 AMEndTuesday, April 11, 1972 at 10:54 AMTape start time04:11:09Tape end time04:15:55ParticipantsHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  Kissinger, Henry A.;  Nixon, Richard M. (President)Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AudioNARA Description

On April 11, 1972, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:49 am and 10:54 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 022-105 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 22-105

Date: April 11, 1972
Time: 10:49 am - unknown before 10:54 am
Location: White House Telephone

H. R. Haldeman talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See Conversation No. 706-2E]

     Haldeman’s location

     The President’s forthcoming trip to the Soviet Union
          -Stopover place
               -Austria
                      -Salzburg
                           -Vienna
                           -Length of stay
                           -Meeting with Chancellor [Bruno Kreisky]
                                -Kissinger’s response
               -Switzerland

The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 10:49 am and 10:54 am.

                -Spanish base
                -Azores
                -Switzerland
                -Ireland
                -Austria
                      -The President’s past trips
                           -Karl J. Gruber
                      -Nonalignment
                      -Salzburg
                           -Airfield capacities
                                 -Constellation
                                 -Salzburg Festival

                           -Meeting with Kreisky
                -Switzerland
                     -The President’s view
                     -Kissinger’s view
                -Austria
                     -Gruber
                           -Eisenhower Administration
                           -The President’s previous visits
                                 -Hungarian refugees
                     -Facilities
                     -Reception
                     -Weather
                     -Reception
                           -The President’s view
                     -Meeting with Kreisky
                     -Proximity to Moscow
                     -Check with Austrian ambassador
                           -Kissinger
                                 -Office
                           -State Department
                     -Soviets
                     -Gruber
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I'm in the president's office.
We were talking about the stopping point on the way to Russia.
And he's raising again the question of whether Austria isn't a possibility, doing Salzburg, not Vienna.
But going there and doing that, spending two nights, as we had originally planned to do, and he'd see the chancellor, you know, for a visit, which would destroy the idea of a rest stop.
In other words, it would just be a stop with a non-aligned nation on the way in.
Well, the chancellor, you know, if he wants to do that.
I have no great objection to that.
He's just wondering if that isn't better than trying to go into Switzerland.
Well, just a second.
Hello, yes, I don't want to bother you.
Let me tell you what I have in mind.
Just take a second.
I don't like the feeling of a Spanish base, you know, and that's the problem with any place in Spain.
I don't like the feeling of these or any base kind of a thing.
Yeah.
Switzerland poses the problem, if you're aware.
Ireland's out of the question.
Let me just make a case for Austria in other words.
which I have always had a very close relationship with the Austrians from a personal standpoint.
The ambassador here is a great friend of mine.
They'd break their backs to make it good.
Oh, no question.
And also, it is a country which is not allied to us or to the Russians.
The Russians aren't going to be put out.
We don't care if they were particular, but...
rather than going to Vienna, going to Salzburg, you see, which is a lovely town.
You've been there, of course, haven't you?
Oh, it's beautiful.
I don't know whether, well, you'd find out whether they have an airfield.
Well, we landed there, well, we landed there in a constellation last time, so I don't know whether they can take this, but, oh, what, the Salzburg Festival?
I'll lay you money, they've got to build an airfield.
But if they haven't, but if it's, and I wouldn't mind seeing the Austrian thing, you know what I mean?
What's an hour's conversation during the day, that's all.
You know, have a little meeting with them.
Mr. President,
My objection to Switzerland, I share your concern about Switzerland because, first of all, there are pains in the neck.
Well, they're not making, they're brokering money off the world, and they don't deserve it.
Secondly, if you go there just overnight, you're going to have a tremendous operation for one night's rest.
And they won't help you, and the Austrians would.
That's right.
And if you go for two nights, it looks like a vacation.
That's right.
Because there's nothing you could conceivably do in Switzerland that...
So I think Austria... You don't mind our exploring it?
No.
I'd like to...
This ambassador here is Hans Brube.
You know him?
Very well.
He's a hell of a nice guy, you know.
Used to be their foreign minister.
Well, he was not only their foreign minister, but he was the ambassador to Washington in the Eisenhower period.
And I know him extremely well.
And where I got to know them so well was in the Hungarian refugee period, you see.
Yeah.
And I was there, and I spent over ten days in Austria.
And they certainly have the facilities there.
They have the facilities, and their government would break their back, and the people would be friendly.
And the weather will be good.
Yes, sir.
The people will be friendly.
That's another thing.
We have no problem there of friendly people.
The Austrians, hell, they love Americans in Austria.
They really do.
So, no, I think if you're willing to see their... Yeah, of course.
I think we should see them, but just say we can only have an hour's meeting, you know.
Courtesy call.
Courtesy call, sure.
That is no problem, because that gives us a chance to spend the day.
We do need the two nights, really, to get ready for Moscow.
I actually think, Mr. President, you...
You're just better off doing it.
I'll press myself too hard otherwise.
And we want to be really up good when we get in there.
And Austria is very close to Moscow.
That's the other vantage.
That's right.
I think it would be a three.
Well, I'll have Bob check that out then.
I think it's a good idea.
And don't you think the way to check it is to, rather than putting it through, why don't we just have it checked with Gruber?
What's his name?
Yeah.
Gruber.
Gruber.
How would be the way to do it?
I could do it easily enough.
or my office could do it very quickly.
That's the way we've done it.
Well, if you put it in the state channels, it gets publicized right away, doesn't it?
Well, I'll get you an answer by tomorrow.
I'm sure they'll be enthusiastic.
That's what I... And there's no problem with the Russians on that.
No, no.
They know we have to spin tonight.
All right.
Well, let's go forward, then.
You go forward, Gruber.
Right.
Fine.
I'll get you... Fine.
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