Conversation: 330-031
Prev: 330-030 Next: 330-032Start Date: 10-Apr-1972 3:10 PM
End Date: 10-Apr-1972 3:55 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]; White House operator; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:14:12
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:59:37
NARA Description:
On April 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), White House operator, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:10 pm to 3:55 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 330-031 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 330-31
Date: April 10, 1972
Time: 3:10 pm - 3:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Vietnam
-North Vietnam
-Private talks
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] talks
-South Vietnam’s survival
-Soviets
-Responsibilities in Vietnam
-US message to PRC
-US propaganda line
-Spokesmen
-Congressmen and Senators
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Fact sheet
-Clark M. Clifford’s statement
-Buckley
-B-52 strikes
-Targets
-Hanoi’s attitudes
-Impact of strikes
-Madam Nguyen Thi Binh
-Statements
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Karl E. Mundt's statement
-William J. Porter's statement
-Publicity
36
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)
-Scheduling and timing
-Porter’s statement
-B-52 strikes
-Negotiations
-Proposal
-US restraint
-Private channels
-Soviets
-Agreements
The President's schedule
-Options
-Camp David
Vietnam
-Political losses
-Appearance of ferocity
-Hanoi
-Soviet Union
-Encouragement to adversaries
-Deterioration of domestic support
-Impact
-The President's speech
-Soviet Union
-Demonstrations
-Letters from the President
-Perception of the President's strength
-Domestic support
-Confusion
-Washington Star report
-An Loc
-Caution of the President's opposition
-George S. McGovern
-Michael J. Mansfield
-Trip to PRC
-J. William Fulbright
-Fear of taking on the President
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 3:10 pm.
Unknown article that Buckley should read
37
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 3:55 pm.
-The President's speech
-Timing
-Moderate tone
-Defense of policies
-Points to make
-Kissinger’s opinion
-Talking points for John A. Scali, Charles W. Colson
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Thrust of speech
-US role
-Support for South Vietnam
-Text of speech
-Aggressive tone
-Patriotic appeal
-Timing
-B-52 strikes
-Effectiveness
-North Vietnamese objectives
-Attacks on Saigon
-Real goals
-Vo Nguyen Giap
-US bombing
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Casualties
-Military Region One
-Weather
-Gunshots
-An Loc
-South Vietnamese army
-Creighton W. Abrams
-Performance
-US attacks
-Tanks
-Kissinger’s reports
-Weather
-Hoang Xuan Lam
-Number
-Casualties
38
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)
-B-52s
-Binh
-Airfield
-Petroleum, oil, and lubricants [POL] dumps
-Intensity
-Photographs
-B-52s
-North Vietnamese expectations
-Unknown persons' performance
-Election year
-Dien Bien Phu
-1964
-1968 and 1972
-US bombing
-Naval gunfire
-Populated areas
-Number of ships
-Destroyers
-Cruisers
-Airplanes
-Numbers
-B-52 strikes
-Number
-Talking points
-Scali and Herbert G. Klein
-Clark MacGregor
-Domestic criticism
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Humphrey
-Proposals
-Gridiron meeting
-Constitutional amendment
-The President's conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
The President's Canadian trip
-Draft of speech
-Substance
-Disarmament statement
-William L. Safire
-US-Canadian relations
-Statements
-Speech
39
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)
-Role of superpowers
-Peking and Moscow
-Long-range interests of superpowers
-Arms limitations
-Progress
-Goals
-Restraint on arms export
-Last drafts
-Kissinger’s input
-The President's phraseology
-Changes
-Impact
-Tone
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin's reaction
-PRC
-State Department
-Analysis
US-Soviet relations
-Central Europe
-Détente
-Mutual dependence
-Democrats
Israel
Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Problems
-Schedule
-Democratic convention
-Draftees in Vietnam
-Timing of announcements
-Haiphong
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:10 and 3:55
pm.
[Conversation No. 330-31A]
Call to Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
40
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)
The operator placed the call on hold at an unknown time; the President and Kissinger conferred.
Vietnam
-Change in policy
-South Vietnam
The President talked with Haig at an unknown time.
Vietnam
-Troop ceiling in 1969
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Rate
-Total numbers
-Timing
-Goal by July 30
-Domestic issues
-PRC
-Soviets
-Dealings with US
-Dobrynin
-Kissinger’s message to Egon Bahr
-Prospect of relating message to Soviets
-Text
-Bahr
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Dealings with Germans
-Letter to unknown person
-Receipt by Rolf Pauls
-Reporting through channels
-Summit
-Need for German settlement by Soviets
-Pressure by PRC
-Shanghai communiqué
-Scali
-Democratic convention
-Outcome of Vietnam war
-The President's reputation
-South Vietnam
41
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)
-Fighting capacities
-Compared with Laos
-Control of offensive
-Abrams
-Tacair uses
-Performance
-Washington Special Action Group [WSAG] meeting
-Reaction to the President's policies
-North Vietnamese offensive
-US bombing
-Necessity
-Impact on Southeast Asia and US foreign policy
-Thailand and Indonesia
-Democrats
-Possible lines of criticism
The President's meeting with Kissinger's parents
-Time
-Location
Kissinger left at 3:55 pm.