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Conversation: 277-010

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Start Date: 15-Sep-1971 1:05 PM

End Date: 15-Sep-1971 2:10 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:16:35

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:09:44

277a.mp3

277b.mp3

NARA Description:

On September 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:05 pm to 2:10 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 277-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 277-10

Date: September 15, 1971
Time: 1:05 pm - 2:10 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Weather
         -Temperature
             -President’s schedule, September 14, 1971
                   -[Truman] balcony

     The press
          -Instructions to Ronald L. Ziegler regarding contacts with the press
                -Response
                -Call from James B. (“Scotty”) Reston to Ziegler
                      -Time
                -Appointment request
                      -Max Frankel
                -Robert B. Semple, Jr.
                      -New York Times
          -Henry A. Kissinger
                -Conversation with Reston
                -Strategy involved
                      -Pressure
                -Contacts
          -Ziegler’s handling
          -Kissinger
                -Clearance with Ziegler, Haldeman
                -Joseph C. Kraft
          -In-depth interviews with newspapers
                -Handling prior to election time
                      -Timing
                -Richard L. (“Dick”) Wilson
                -Stewart J.O. Alsop
                -Attitude towards the administration
          -Agreements by Ziegler
                                             7

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                     Conv. No. 277-10 (cont.)


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 55s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


    The press
         -Alsop
         -Handling during forthcoming year
               -Written articles compared with interviews
                     -US News & World Report
                           -Possible article by the President
                     -Associated Press [AP] and United Press International [UPI]
         -Reston
         -Edmund S. Muskie
         -Ziegler
         -Thomas W. Braden
         -Semple
         -President’s view
               -The New York Times interviews
                     -Frankel, Reston
               -Protection of the administration
         -Semple, Edward Dale
         -Strategy towards the press
               -Exclusive interviews
         -George P. Shultz’s view
               -Dale, Semple
         -The administration’s relations with the press
               -Ziegler
               -Press attitude
         -Type of support for the administration
               -Los Angeles Times
                     -Relationship with the administration
                     -Claude Erwin
         -New York Post
                                           8

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/06)
                                                              Conv. No. 277-10 (cont.)


          -Don Erwing [sp?]
     -Reston’s inquiry to Kissinger
          -Haldeman’s involvement
          -Response
          -Estimation of newspaper response
     -The President’s relationship with the press
          -Possible outcome
     -Question of interviews
          -Alsop, Chalmers Roberts
     -Ziegler
     -George Putnam
          -Influence
                -Compared to Reston
                      -Votes

The President’s schedule
     -National Security Council [NSC]
          -Meeting
          -Time
          -John B. Connally
                 -Return from trip
                 -Time
          -Date
          -Schedule for meeting
                 -Date
                 -Time
          -Camp David
                 -Florida
     -Problems
          -Discussion
          -Chain of events
     -Type of schedule
     -Days of the week
          -Scheduling of days
          -Wednesday
                 -Preparation for possible press conference

Press relations
      -Briefing book for press conferences
            -Patrick J. Buchanan
            -Responsibility for briefing book
                                         9

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 277-10 (cont.)


               -Current situations
                     -Updating
                     -Day of the week
               -Preparation for the President
          -Reduction of questions for the President
               -Update of events
          -Day of the week
               -Weekly review for the President
                     -Local news
          -Accuracy
     -John N. Mitchell
     -Connally
     -Shultz
     -Edwin Hoyt’s use of contacts in the White House
          -Herbert G. Klein
          -Rose Mary Woods
               -Knowledge
                     -Answers to questions
               -Duty as personal secretary
               -Position
               -Edward C. Nixon

Publication of books
     -Individuals writing books
           -Time
           -Paul Healy
     -Administration reaction towards writing books about the President
     -Time period before the election
           -Lack of time
           -After election
           -Effects on the President
     -Rowland Evans and Robert D. Novak
           -Nixon in the White House: The Frustration of Power
                 -Lyndon Johnson: An Exercise in Power
                 -The People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                 -Economic action
                       -Inclusion at end of book
                 -Publication of errata
                 -Style of writing
                       -Authenticity of book on the President
                 -Kissinger
                                        10

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                              Conv. No. 277-10 (cont.)


               -Evans
                    -Accuracy of facts, quotes
                    -Hugh S. Sidey
                    -Columns versus books
                    -Effects
               -Effects of PRC developments
               -Buchanan’s opinion of Evans’ book
                           -Bestselling book’s impact
               -Type of book
                    -Reader’s Digest
                           -Personal focus
                           -Story of Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Klein, William L.
                                Safire, Robert H. Finch, Donald H. Rumsfeld
               -Buchanan’s view
                    -Type of book
                    -Possible effect of book
                    -Comparison to Victor Lasky’s book on John F. Kennedy
               -Conservatives
               -Book on Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
               -Effect of book about the President
                    -Perceptions
                           -Arthur F. Burns’ role in the administration
                                -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
                                -Type of story
               -Buchanan
     -More books published about the President
     -Look magazine article about Haldeman
     -William Loeb
           -Unknown book
     -Evans
     -Kennedy
     -Reston

Press stories
      -Pentagon Papers
            -Kissinger
            -Involvement of the New York Times
      -Interviews
      -Meeting between the President and Kissinger
      -Reston
            -Contact issue
                                        11

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                             Conv. No. 277-10 (cont.)


          -Question of interview with Kissinger
          -Instruction for Haldeman to talk with Kissinger

Security of documents
     -Papers of the White House staff
           -[Forename unknown] Reitzel (sp?)
           -Retrieval system within the administration
     -NSC papers
           -Kissinger
           -Importance
           -Distribution among NSC staff
           -Handling
                 -Post-election period
           -Kissinger
                 -Possession
           -Location
           -Establishment of special safekeeping measures
                 -Possible problems
     -Coordination of efforts
     -Kissinger
           -Contacts
                 -George S. McGovern, Edward M. Kennedy
           -William P. Rogers
           -Handling of contacts
           -White House location

Scheduling
     -Warren E. Burger
     -Meetings with groups
           -Value
     -Clark MacGregor
     -Congressional leaders, members
     -Presidential trips
     -Types of events
           -Focus
     -Type of meeting held at Camp David
           -Second line staff
                -Safire
                -Paul A. Volcker
           -Focus
                -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
                                        12

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                             Conv. No. 277-10 (cont.)


                -Safire, Kenneth W. Dam
                -Ehrlichman, Weinberger
     -Forthcoming economic action
          -Quadriad
     -Astronauts
          -Trip to Camp David

Cabinet
     -Connally
          -Forthcoming talk with Haldeman
     -Leadership
          -Rogers
          -Rogers C.B. Morton
          -George W. Romney
          -Maurice H. Stans
          -Peter G. Peterson
          -John A. Volpe
          -Elliot L. Richardson
          -Politics compared with administrative work

Press relations
      -Interviews in the Oval Office
      -Television
            -News hour
            -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                  -Announcement
      -Timing
            -Press conferences
      -Editors
      -Question and answer [Q&A] sessions
            -Detroit
            -East Wing
            -News hour
      -Press conference scheduling
      -Number of appearances by the President since July 1

The President’s meetings with small groups
     -Effectiveness
     -Meetings
     -Education factor
     -Color reports on meetings
                                         13

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 277-10 (cont.)


          -Kennedy administration

Evans and Novak book
     -Challenging of judgements, facts
          -Knowledge of details
     -Drew Pearson
          -Column
     -Columns

The President’s schedule
     -Florida
     -Charlotte, North Carolina [William F. (“Billy”) Graham tribute]
     -Opening of Disney World
           -Veteran’s Day weekend
           -Possible preview visit by the President
                 -Orlando, Florida
                 -Importance
                       -Publicity
           -Interest by foreigners in Disneyland
           -Visitors
                 -Disneyland compared to Disneyworld
                       -Southern California
                       -Florida
     -Events
           -Jews
           -Dinner

Evans and Novak book
     -Ehrlichman’s reaction
     -Campaign comparison
     -Focus
     -John R. Chamberlain

Unknown woman

Evans and Novak book

Programs
     -Possible changes

Polls
                                          14

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/06)
                                                           Conv. No. 277-10 (cont.)


     -Effectiveness of the President’s actions
          -Leadership
                -Meetings with groups of individuals
                      -Influence
                -Productivity

Economy
    -Connally
    -Burns
         -Monetary issues
               -Predictions
    -Shultz
    -Connally
    -Penn Central Corporation
    -Collapse of stock market

The media
     -Publication of Edith Efron’s book

Attica State Prison riots
      -Nelson A. Rockefeller
            -Position
            -Decision
                  -Hostages
      -Killings
            -Number of killings
                  -Sequence
      -Decision by Rockefeller
      -Convicts
            -Guard killings
                  -Effect of kill ratio
      -Rockefeller
            -Relation of situation to Cambodia
            -[Arnold] Eric Sevareid, Harry Reasoner
            -Course of action by Rockefeller

Presidential leadership
     -Perceptions
           -The PRC initiative
                 -Public view of presidential authority
                 -Use of power of presidential office
                                                   15

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 277-10 (cont.)


             -Sidey’s column
                  -Possible impact
                        -Asia
                              -Japan and China
                              -Economic conditions
                  -Cambodia
             -Use of power in foreign policy
                  -PRC trip
             -Use of power in handling domestic issues
                  -The economy

     The President’s staff

     Congressional relations

     Polls
             -Charles W. Colson
             -Imbalance of positive and negative

[Unintelligible]

     Staff
             -Morale
             -Recent actions
                  -News summary reports
                  -Sense of activity


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 12s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


     [Unintelligible]
                                            16

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                     Conv. No. 277-10 (cont.)


     Opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
         -Leonard Bernstein
               - Mass
                     -Reviews
                          -Performances, architecture, theaters
                     -Response
                     -Emotional impact
                     -Unknown person’s criticism


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 27s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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     Buchanan
         -Evans and Novak book

Haldeman left at 2:10 pm.