Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-092

Nixon phone call with Moorer on Prisoners of War and Reader's Digest

Thursday, February 15, 1973 · 4:24 PM–4:26 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.)Conversation043-092 on Tape 43StartThursday, February 15, 1973 at 4:24 PMEndThursday, February 15, 1973 at 4:26 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-092 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with Admiral Thomas Moorer regarding a request from Reader's Digest publisher Hobart Lewis to produce a feature article on the return of American Prisoners of War. Nixon proposed that military analyst Hanson Baldwin be granted access to collect information for the story, provided all details remain confidential until the repatriation process concluded on March 28. Moorer agreed to cooperate with Baldwin and assured the President that the security of the information would be maintained.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hello?
Yes, sir.
I didn't, I forgot to mention you at noon today, a call that I had and a request that I think is worth your considering.
I'm talking to Hobart Lewis, our mutual friend.
Yeah, I know him.
Yeah, and I told him he was, of course, so elated about the prisoners and so forth, and he, incidentally, the Reader's Digest is doing a takeout with...
extensive one on Joe Alsop, who's talking about the bombing and how it was effective, you know, that sort of thing.
Then on the POWs and so forth, I said, well, this is one of the great stories.
I said, it cannot be written yet.
It will have to be wait until after all of them are returned.
These men have done the contribution that they've made is just...
and it's such a traumatic, emotional story.
It could involve one, it could involve several, but it's a wonderful thing for the Reader's Digest.
People love to read it.
He, of course, totally agreed.
I told him that you and I had been talking a bit about it and so forth.
He would like to have Hanson Baldwin, whom, of course, you know, he'd like to sign him to begin doing the, I mean, to take the responsibility on preparing the materials for a story to, not to be finished, and, of course, nothing, of course, should be said until after all have returned on the 28th of March.
Fine, sir, I'd be happy to help.
I like the idea, and I told him that you would be
willing to call, that you would cooperate, that I'm sure you would cooperate.
Of course, as you know, the Digestals, they're just trying to help us.
And what I would think is that Baldwin, of course, is highly responsible.
You could have your people, or you could give them a little feel of the whole thing.
In other words, he could start collecting the material now, and then
go all out on a very positive story about these Americans and their reaction to what we'd all done and so forth.
So I just wanted to alert you that if they call, which I presume they will, probably Lewis will call himself in a couple, three days, we will have discussed it, and I think it's an excellent idea.
Yes, sir.
That's just a fine idea.
I know Hans Balvin real well.
Sure.
And we'll get right on that, Mr. President.
Sure.
I'm keeping...
summary of this thing now and i i great well i know this too that as you realize there are very few members of the press you can talk to an off record but he's going to blow it but there i i i just hit i emphasized to him absolutely nothing could be leaked or said or anything about this and of course a lot of it will get out in the press and and it's totality until after the 28th but there were things developing that couldn't be talked about now that could later and so uh
Either you, naturally, anybody you have can talk to Baldwin.
As you know, he's totally secure.
He'd never leak a thing.
I'll take care of it, Mr. President.
All right.
Thank you, sir.
Okay, fine.
Bye.

NARA Description

On February 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer talked on the telephone from 4:24 pm to 4:26 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-092 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-92

Date: February 15, 1973
Time: 4:24 pm - 4:26 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Adm. Thomas H. Moorer.
                                             -50-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 43-92 (cont’d)

[See Conversation No. 410-22]

       The President’s conversation with Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
            -Prisoners of War [POWs]
                  -Possible article for Reader’s Digest
                         -Joseph W. Alsop
                         -Timing of story
                         -Hanson Baldwin
                               -Interview with Moorer
                                     -Topics to discuss

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All 45 conversations from February 15, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-092, February 15, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-092 (accessed October 28, 2026).