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Conversation: 333-007

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Start Date: 26-Apr-1972 9:26 AM

End Date: 26-Apr-1972 10:29 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.Butterfield, Alexander P.[Unknown person(s)]Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:05:32

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:07:15

333a.mp3

333b.mp3

333c.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander P. Butterfield, unknown person(s), and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:26 am to 10:29 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 333-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 333-7

Date: April 26, 1972
                                                 3

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)



Time: 9:26 am - 10:29 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

       Kissinger's talk with Charles W. Colson
             -Barry M. Goldwater
             -James L. Buckley

       Vietnam
            -Paris negotiations
                  -Resumption
                         -Announcement
            -Military situation
                  -Military Region Two
                  -North Vietnamese advances
                         -Central Highlands
                  -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams's actions
                  -Commitment of forces
                         -Central Highlands
                         -Abrams's actions
                  -Air attacks
            -[David] Kenneth Rush
                  -Melvin R. Laird
            -Bombing
                  -Extension
                         -Kissinger's wire from Moscow to Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                         -Approval
                         -Joint Chiefs of Staff
                               -Memorandum to Laird
                         -President’s orders
                               -Political objectives
                               -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
                  -Laird
                  -Rush
                  -David Packard
            -Rush
                  -Loyalty to the President
                  -Quality of work
                  -Laird
            -Robert C. Seamans, Jr.
                         -Robert S. Mcnamara
                                            4

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)




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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration: 8s ]


          Soviets


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


          -Kissinger’s schedule
                -Haig
          -Laird
                -The President's message
                      -Kissinger's order
                            -Haig
                      -Impact of Laird's actions on negotiations
          -B-52 strike
                -Compared with Tacair
                -Target on the 20th parallel
                      -Thanh Hoa
                -Haiphong
          -Le Duc Tho
                -Trip to Paris
          -Telvision news stories
          -North Vietnamese offensive
                -Press reports
                      -Third North Vietnamese division
                            -Headquarters
                                  -Coast
                      -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman's project
                            -Kissinger's meeting with Haldeman
                            -Haig
                -Summit meeting
                      -Press
                            -Thomas E. Jarriel
                      -Kissinger's briefing
                                  5

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 10/06)



                    -Press reports
                          -Washington Post
                                -Editorial
-Kissinger's trip to Moscow
      -Washington Post
            -Katharine L. Graham
      -New York Times
            -Loyalties
      -Washington Post
            -Democratic National Committee
-Press reports
      -Kissinger’s trip
            -Lack of coverage
      -Soviet summit announcement
            -Lack of coverage
-Possible effect of Soviet summit on negotiations
      -William P. Rogers
-Press reports
      -Administration's reaction
            -Ronald L. Ziegler
            -Haldeman
-Democrats
      -Massachusetts
-Soviets
      -Negotiations
      -Kissinger's Trip
      -Public opinion
-Press
      -Defeatism
      -Haldeman's project
-Defeatism
      -Laos
-Military operations
      -Central highlands
      -An Loc
            -Television coverage
      -III Corps
            -Momentum
      -I Corps
            -North Vietnamese attack
      -II Corps
            -Necessity for US
            -Kontum
                                                  6

                               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/06)



                         -Pleiku
                   -Abrams
                   -Cable from Ellsworth F. Bunker and Abrams
                         -Contents
                   -Bombing
                         -Haiphong
                               -Effects
                         -Negotiations with Hanoi
              -Negotiations
                   -Cease-fre
                   -Bombing
                   -Timing with summit
                   -North Vietnamese offers

       Kissinger's trip to Moscow
             -Trip to Florida
             -Itinerary

       The President's forthcoming speech
            -Kissinger's assessment
            -Toughness
            -Length
            -Kissinger's review
                  -Start of speech
            -Changes in text
                  -Positive emphasis
            -Revisions
                  -Page two
                  -Page three
                         -North Vietnamese victory
                         -North Vietnamese offensive
                               -Cambodia references
                               -Number of North Vietnamese regulars

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 9:44 am.

              -John K. Andrews, Jr.
                    -Changes in speech
                    -Meeting with the President

Butterfield left at 9:45 am.

              -Trip to People's Republic of China [PRC]
                                              7

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)



             -Changes of wording
                   -Weaknesses
                         -White House staff
             -Demonstrations
                   -References
                         -Deletion
                   -Attitude of average American
                   -Slogan
             -Draft of speech
                   -Andrews
                         -Compared with William L. Safire
                         -Patrick J. Buchanan
                         -Influence of Washington Post
                         -Reference to young demonstrators
                               -Ho Chi Minh
                   -Personal tone
                   -Andrews's work
                         -Compared with Safire

       Kissinger's schedule
             -Washington Special Action Group [WSAG] meeting
                   -Haig

Kissinger talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 9:45 am and 10:29 am.

       [Conversation No. 333-7A]

       Call to Haig

Kissinger talked with Haig, at an unknown time.

       Kissinger's schedule
             -Speech
             -WSAG meeting
                   -Haig's presiding
                   -Chairman
                         -Bob Lamour [?]
                         -Rush

[End of telephone conversation]

       Speech draft
            -Andrews
                                        8

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)



     -Assessment
           -November 3, 1969 speech
           -Cambodia speech [April 30, 1970]
     -Personalization
     -January 25, 1972 speech
           -Edmund S. Muskie's reaction
     -North Vietnamese divisions
           -Changes in text
                 -Deletions
           -Demilitarized zone [DMZ] crossing
                 -Cambodia
           -Number of troops
     -Change of wording
     -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
     -South Vietnam
           -Nguyen Van Thieu
           -US support

Vietnam
     -News reports
         -Nelson A. Rockefeller's call to Kissinger
               -Democratic critics
                     -George S. McGovern and Hubert H. Humphrey
               -Soviet trip
               -The President's position in nation

Speech draft
     -Changes and revisions
           -American newsmen

Vietnam
     -Vietcong [VC]
           -North Vietnamese goals
                 -Provincial capitals
                        -US press
     -North Vietnamese offensive
           -Losses
                 -An Loc
                 -Quang Tri
           -Provincial capitals
                 -An Loc
           -State of offensive
           -Counteraction
                                       9

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. 10/06)



                 -Trips To PRC and Soviet Union
     -Moscow trip
           -Press hostility
     -Kissinger's trip
           -Publicity
     -The President's trip to Moscow
           -Benefits
           -Press hostility
                 -Ziegler
           -Press reports
                 -Favorable articles

The President’s schedule
     -Meeting with Gerard C. Smith, May 1, 1972
           -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
           -Navy
                  -Submarines
           -Florida
           -Texas

Kissinger's schedule
      -Trip to Paris
            -Meeting with Le Duc Tho
                  -Publicity
                  -Announcement

Vietnam
     -Critics
     -Soviets
     -Bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong
     -Lyndon B. Johnson
            -Troop levels
            -Negotiations
                  -Compared with The President
            -Dealings with Soviets
     -Soviets
            -May 2, 1972 meeting
            -Mission to Hanoi
            -Summit
     -The President’s comments in February 1969
            -Linkage
     -State Department
                                      10

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)



Willy Brandt
      -Government
            -Vote of "No Confidence"
                  -Social Democratic Party [SDP]
                  -Possible Outcome
                  -Secret Ballot
            -Balance of power
      -Treaties
            -Ratification
      -Possible outcome of "No Confidence" vote
            -Impact
      -Treaties
            -Ratification
                  -Impact
                        -Leonid I. Brezhnev
                        -US
      -Government
            -Strength
            -"No Confidence" vote
                  -Procedures
      -Treaties
            -Ratification
                  -Upper and Lower Houses
                        -Moscow trip
                  -US

Speech draft on Vietnam
     -Changes
           -South Vietnam
                 -Page five
           -Page six
           -Page seven
           -Page nine
           -Victory of communists
           -Page ten
     -Andrews's draft
           -References to doves
     -Changes
           -Recommendations
           -Surrender of US
                 -Wording
           -US involvement in Southeast Asia
           -Wording
                                             11

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)



                 -Deletions
                       -Rogers
                 -Public impact
                 -Presidency
                       -McGovern
           -Wording of speech
                 -Andrews's draft
                       -Sentences
           -Future of US foreign policy
                 -The President's talk at Congressional retirees dinner, April 25, 1972
                 -Presidency
                       -McGovern
           -Copies
                 -Kissinger's WSAG meeting
           -Kissinger's work with Winston Lord and Andrews
                 -Quality of work of speechwriters
                 -Lord’s tenure
                       -Cambodia
                 -Personalizations
           -Andrews's draft
                 -Abstractions
                 -References to demonstrators
                       -Popular perceptions
                       -Support for Muskie and McGovern


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 22s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9

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


      Vietnam
           -W[illiam] Averell Harriman
                 -Kissinger’s trip to Moscow
           -Kissinger's meeting with Le Duc Tho
                 -SALT breakthrough
                                       12

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)



                 -Significance
     -Kissinger’s trip
     -Summit
           -Expectations

The President’s schedule
     -Haldeman

Vietnam
     -Announcements
     -Bombing halt
           -Summit
           -Message to PRC
     -Private meeting
           -Laird
     -Thieu
           -Copy of April 26, 1972 speech

Soviet trip
     -Haldeman
     -The President's schedule
            -Church service in Moscow
            -Kissinger's conversation with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
     -Soviet leaders
            -The President's reelection
     -Church
            -Maintenance
                  -Reasons
            -Message for Dobrynin
                  -Brezhnev
                  -William F. (“Billy”) Graham
            -The President's schedule
                  -Consultation with Soviet leaders
     -Brezhnev
            -Attitude toward the President
                  -[Napoleon, King of France] Napoleon [Bonaparte] I
            -Chou En-Lai
            -Office
            -Foreign policy
     -The President’s accommodations
            -Lay-out and furnishings
            -Refurbishing Kremlin
                  -Courtyard
                                             13

                              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)



             -US relations with Soviets
                         -Compared to Harriman and Joseph Davies
             -North Vietnamese news article
                  -US efforts in Soviet Union
                         -Significance
                         -Compared with US aid to Iran
                               -Andrei A. Gromyko
                               -Shah of Iran [Moahmmed Reza Pahlavi]
             -Bombing of Haiphong
                  -Relation to summit
                  -Harriman
             -Henry C. Lodge
                  -Discussion with Giovanni Battista Motini [Pope Paul VI]
                         -Kissinger's trip to Moscow

       The President's speech
            -Kissinger meeting
                  -Work on draft
            -Speechwriters
                  -Meeting with Kissinger
            -New draft
                  -Time
            -Wording
                  -Demonstrators
                  -Actions

       Vietnam
            -Support for the President
                 -Congressmen
                 -Kissinger's briefing
                        -John Sherman Cooper
                              -Colson

The President talked with an unknown person [Haldeman?] at 10:29 am.

       [Conversation No. 333-7B]

       The unknown person's schedule

Kissinger left at 10:29 am.

[End of telephone conversation]
                                          14

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)