Easy NixonAbout

Conversation: 250-005

Prev:  250-004 Next: 250-006

Start Date: 16-Apr-1971 9:40 AM

End Date: 16-Apr-1971 10:30 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.Sanchez, Manolo

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:27:04

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:41:02

250a.mp3

250b.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:40 am to 10:30 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 250-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 250-5

Date: April 16, 1971
Time: 9:40 am - 10:30 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger

     Kissinger’s dinner with Rowland Evans
          -Editors

     Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting with William S. White
          -Schedule

     Kissinger’s conversation with Thomas Winship, Boston Globe
          -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
          -US foreign policy
                -Otis Chandler

     President’s speech on Vietnam

     President’s panel interview with the American Society of Newspaper Editors, April 16,
          1971
          -Frank Cormier and Eugene V. Risher
                -Quality of questions
          -John F. Kennedy’s press conferences
                                                4

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 9/08)



         -President’s press conferences
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 9:40 pm

     Instructions
           -Patrick J. Buchanan
           -James J. Kilpatrick, Jr.’s column

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 10:30 am

     Kissinger’s mail
          -Harvard University and Yale University
          -Princeton University
          -Letter from Harvard University faculty members

     Vietnam
          -PRC initiative
          -Peace conference
          -William B. Saxbe
                -Instructions to Kissinger
                -Laos
          -Laos
          -Military operations
          -South Vietnamese
          -Casualties
                -Figures
                -Wounded
                -Dead

     Kissinger’s forthcoming call to Richard M. Helms
          -Helms’ speech
          -Press

     Kissinger’s conversation with Henry Hubbard
          -Role of the press
                -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman [?] and Ronald L. Ziegler [?]

     Vietnam
          -William E. Colby [?]
                -James L. Buckley [?]

     President’s PRC initiative
          -President’s speech on Vietnam
                                          5

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



           -Effect on liberals
           -Press coverage
           -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
           -Chou En-lai

Vietnam
     -North Vietnamese moves
     -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin                                Conv. No. 250-5 (cont.)
     -Instructions to Kissinger
     -US proposals
           -Timing
     -Negotiations
     -North Vietnamese
     -PRC
     -US air power
           -Melvin R. Laird
     -US goals
     -Withdrawal issue
     -Laird
     -Residual force
     -South Vietnam
     -US withdrawal
     -South Vietnam
     -Preparation for editors’ meeting
           -Lee Hills
                 -Detroit Free Press

Preparation for editors’ meeting
     -PRC
     -USSR
           -Possible summit meeting
           -Discussions
           -Summit
     -Vietnam
           -Possible questions
           -US flexibility
           -Prisoners of War [POWs]
                 -President’s possible response
                 -US goals
           -Withdrawal issue
                 -US policy
                 -Proposals
                                        6

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



          -POWs
          -Timetable for US withdrawal
          -President’s address on Southeast Asia, October 7, 1970
          -Kissinger’s conversation with Hubbard

USSR
    -Possible summit meeting in USSR
    -Leonid I. Brezhnev                                             Conv. No. 250-5 (cont.)
    -Benefits of President’s visit
    -Josip Broz Tito
    -Communists
    -President’s possible participation in summit meeting
          -Possible Soviet response
    -Moscow
    -President’s visit to Yugoslavia
          -Zagreb
          -Weather
    -Possible response of Russian people to a summit meeting
    -Nicolae Ceausescu
          -Actions against Romanian students
    -Comments of unknown German
          -Young people’s views of Communism

Preparation for editor’s meeting
     -Timetable for US withdrawal
     -President’s possible response
     -Buchanan
     -President’s accountability

Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
    -Harry S Truman
    -Norodom Sihanouk
    -PRC
    -President’s upcoming meeting with Mansfield
    -Instructions to Kissinger
    -Message for Mansfield
    -PRC
           -President’s policies
           -Possible exchange
           -Timing
           -Sihanouk
    -Cambodia
                                          7

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



      -Sihanouk
      -Kissinger’s possible conversation with Mansfield
      -President’s schedule
            -Meeting with Mansfield
      -PRC
            -Kissinger’s possible conversation with Mansfield
                  -Express gratitude to Mansfield
                  -Attempt to get a visit from the Chinese      Conv. No. 250-5 (cont.)
            -President’s Possible Trip to the PRC
                  -Timing
            -Sihanouk

Preparation for editors’ meeting
     -Vietnam
           -Timetable for US withdrawal
           -Residual force
           -Air power
           -Press
           -US flexibility
     -US-PRC relations
           -Sihanouk
           -Vietnam
           -Significance of “breakthrough” in relations
           -USSR
           -Press
           -United Nations [UN] issue
           -Trade announcement
           -Recognition issue
           -US long-range goals
                 -Normalization of relations
                 -Ending Chinese isolation
           -Timing
           -Increase in Trade
           -Patience
           -Chou En-lai
     -Polls
           -Glassboro summit
                 -Lyndon B. Johnson
                 -Aleksei N. Kosygin
           -Popular desire for instant solution to problems

PRC
                                      8

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 9/08)



     -Suggested speech by President
     -US relations
     -Negotiations
     -Need for firmness

Preparation for editors’ meeting
     -Long-range view
           -Need for communication among power centers   Conv. No. 250-5 (cont.)
     -US, Western Europe, USSR, PRC, Japan
     -President’s possible responses to questions
           -UN
     -Pakistan
           -Arms deal
           -US policy
     -USSR
     -Pakistan
           -US policy
           -Arms deal
           -Conflict with India
           -East Bengali revolt
     -Biafra
           -US policy
           -William C. Trueheart
           -State Department
           -Nigeria
     -East Bengali revolt
           -US policy
     -India-Pakistan conflict
           -Consequences for India
           -West Pakistan
           -Separatism
           -Baluchistan
           -Afghanistan
           -US policy
           -East Bengali revolt
                                              9

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 7s ]


     FOREIGN AFFAIRS                                              Conv. No. 250-5 (cont.)


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

******************************************************************************


     Mansfield
         -Instructions to Kissinger
         -Meeting with President

Kissinger left at 10:30 am