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Conversation: 263-009

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Start Date: 20-Jul-1971 3:41 PM

End Date: 20-Jul-1971 6:09 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ehrlichman, John D.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Kissinger, Henry A.Sanchez, Manolo

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:24:11

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:33:17

263a.mp3

263b.mp3

NARA Description:

On July 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:41 pm and 6:09 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 263-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 263-9

Date: July 20, 1971
Time: Unknown between 3:41 pm and 6:09 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

     President’s schedule
          -Forthcoming meeting
          -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                                               8

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



     Congress
         -Ehrlichman's meeting with Labor Committee
               -Appropriations Committee
                     -Cities
               -California
               -Formula

Haldeman entered at 3:42 pm.                                             Conv. No. 263-9 (cont.)

               -Key states
          -Appropriations
               -Legislative strategy
                     -George H. Mahon
                     -Cities
                     -President’s role
               -Distributions of funds
                     -Texas, California, Ohio, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida, Indiana,
                           Pennsylvania
                     -Localities of high unemployment
                     -Formula, discretionary spending, California
          -Administration’s latitude
               -Veto threat

     Foreign relations
          -The People's Republic of China [PRC]
                -Trips by US political leaders
                      -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy, J. William Fulbright, Robert C. Byrd
                      -Handling of issue
                           -Henry A. Kissinger
          -Vietnam War
                -Negotiations to end the war
          -The PRC
                -Changes in relations with the US
                      -Reaction of the hardhats
                      -Democrats wishing to visit the PRC
                           -Alan Cranston, Fulbright, Edward Kennedy
                      -Hugh Scott, Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
                      -Republican’s reaction
                -Timing of visit by the President
                      -Possible summit meeting in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
                           [USSR]
                -Admiral Perry's opening of Japan to Western Access
                                                 9

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/08)



                -Chou En-lai
                -Kissinger's role
                -Preparations for the President's visit
                     -Ehrlichman
                     -The Secret Service
                -Timing
                     -US - USSR Summit
                     -Other visitors to the PRC                         Conv. No. 263-9 (cont.)
                           -Edward Kennedy
                           -Kissinger's role
                -Chou En-lai
                -Mao Tse-tung

[The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 3:41 pm and 5:05 pm]

[Conversation No. 263-9A]

     Schedule

     PRC
           -The President's forthcoming trip
                -Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy,
                      Lyndon B. Johnson
                -Arrangements

[End of telephone conversation]

                 -Perceptions of the US
                       -Dale Carnegie Outlook
           -Kissinger
                 -Role in PRC opening
                       -The President's leadership role
                             -William P. Rogers
                             -The State Department
                                   -Marshall Green
           -Effect of speculation on US relations with the PRC and with other countries
           -Presidential leadership
           -Congressional leaders
                 -John A. Scali
                 -Statements about the PRC
                       -Curtis McGee
                       -Effect of speculation
                                            10

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/08)



              -Edward Kennedy
                  -Letter
                  -John F. Kennedy, Robert F. (“Bobby”) Kennedy
                        -Dean G. Acheson
                        -Attack on Pearl Harbor
                        -Cuban Missile Crisis

                                                           Conv. No. 263-9 (cont.)
******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 9s ]


    CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


         -Forthcoming Soviet Summit
               -Charles W. Colson
         -Forthcoming trip by the President to the PRC
               -Transportation
         -Air Force One
               -Change of name
         -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew's possible resignation
         -Vietnam War
               -Settlement
                                             11

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/08)



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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 20m 39s ]


MANOLO SANCHEZ ENTERED AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AFTER 3:41
                                                Conv.PM
                                                      No. 263-9 (cont.)

SANCHEZ LEFT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME BEFORE 5:05 PM


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


    Agnew
        -Handling of foreign trips
            -Golf
            -Comparison to the President and Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
            -Press coverage of African trip
                  -Time, Newsweek
                  -Incident in Kenya
            -Size of entourage

    Presidential security
         -Number of Secret Service agents
               -Assassinations of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy
               -Agnew's entourage
                     -Secret Service agents
                     -Signal Corps
                          -Communications
                     -Automobile
                     -Bryce N. Harlow
                     -Agnew's relationship with Secret Service agents
                          -Comparison to the President
                                -Contact with Secret Service agents
                                                  12

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Agency Policy]
[Duration: 16s ]


                                                                Conv. No. 263-9 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

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


                                -Comparison to Johnson
                     -Agnew's treatment of staff
                         -Secretaries
                     -Donald H. Rumsfeld

    Agnew
        -Options for handling vice presidency
             -Choice
             -Comparison with the President
                   -Latin American trip, Nikita Khrushchev
                   -Comparison with Edward Kennedy (?), Hubert H. Humphrey

    Vice presidential qualifications for office
         -Requirements
               -Need to balance the President

    Edward Kennedy
        -Trip to the PRC
              -Group of Congressional visitors
                    -Impact
                    -Chou En-lai
                                             13

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/08)



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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 5m 20s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4                                                Conv. No. 263-9 (cont.)

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


Kissinger entered at 5:05 pm.

     Foreign relations
          -PRC
                -Press reaction to announcement
                      -Editors
                            -Hugh S. Sidey
                      -July 19, 1971 briefing
                            -David Rockefeller
                            -Trip to Russia
                -The Presidency
                      -The President, Johnson
                            -Defense of the President
                -Trip by Democratic members of Congress
                      -Edward Kennedy's request
                -Timing of the Summit with the PRC
                      -The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                      -Timing of announcement of tip to the USSR
                -Advance work for the trip
                      -Requirements
                            -Ehrlichman
                            -Dwight L. Chapin, Bruce A. Kehrli (?)
                                           14

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 10/08)



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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Agency Policy]
[Duration: 30s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11                                            Conv. No. 263-9 (cont.)

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


             -Timing of Kissinger's next trip to the PRC
                   -Edward M. Kennedy, Alan Cranston
                         -Japan
                         -Group travel
                         -Republicans
                              -Hugh Scott
                         -Reaction to trips by others
                              -Vernon A. Walters
                              -Mao Tse-tung
                              -Chou En-lai
             -Summit meeting
                   -Mao Tse-tung
             -Announcement of trips by others
                   -Briefings
                   -Impact of possible statements by Congressional visitors
                         -Establishment of policy line
                   -Congressional group travel
                   -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
                   -George S. McGovern
                   -Agnew
             -Mao Tse-tung
             -Effects of speculation
             -The Press
                   -Kissinger’s conversation with Sidey
                   -Conservative reaction
             -Colson's responsibilities
                   -George Meany, Jay Lovestone
             -William P. Rogers
                   -State Department role
                         -Unknown person's statement to Sidey
                                              15

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)




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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 2m 10s ]

                                                                  Conv. No. 263-9 (cont.)
     COUNTRY

     CHOU EN-LAI


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


                 -Reaction to breakthrough
                      -The press
                      -The general public
                      -Foreign diplomats
                             -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                 -Possible trip by Democrats
                      -Timing of announcement
                 -September date

Kissinger left at 5:34 pm.


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 17m 52s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

**********************************************************************
                                             16

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/08)



    Connally
        -Appointments to positions
             -The President's role
                   -White House staff
                         -Ehrlichman, Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
        -Relations with bureaucracy within Department
             -Charls E. Walker
                                                                Conv. No. 263-9 (cont.)
    Other Cabinet officers
         -George W. Romney
         -John A. Volpe
         -Romney
               -Suburban housing
         -July 19, 1971 Cabinet meeting
               -The PRC initiative


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Privacy]
[Duration: 47s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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


         -William P. Rogers
               -Handling of foreign policy
                    -Outlook
         -The PRC trip
         -Conflicts with State Department
               -Marshall Green
         -Kissinger
               -New York City trip
                                             17

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 8m 12s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9                                             Conv. No. 263-9 (cont.)

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


Ehrlichman and Haldeman left at 6:09 pm.