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Conversation: 338-031

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Start Date: 9-May-1972 12:37 PM

End Date: 9-May-1972 1:12 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.)

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:00:49

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:31:22

338a.mp3

338b.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:37 pm to 1:12 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 338-031 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 338-31

Date: May 9, 1972
Time: 12:37-1:12 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Vietnam
          -Kissinger's previous press conference
                -Ronald L. Ziegler's report
          -Ronald W. Reagan and Nelson A. Rockefeller
                -Talks with Kissinger

     Rockefeller
         -President's call
         -Statement of support for the President
         -President's call
         -Letter from the President to Terence Cardinal Cooke
               -Responsibility

     Vietnam
          -Reagan
               -Support for the President
                    -Telegram campaign
          -Blockade
               -Melvin R. Laird
                    -Television appearance
               -William P. Rogers
                    -Public appearance
                    -Kissinger’s view
                    -Senate Foreign Relations Committee
               -Laird
                    -Public relations abilities
                    -Kissinger’s view
                                             17

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Dec-01)                  Conv. No. 338-31 (cont.)


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Privacy
[Duration: 1s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


Alexander M. Haig, Jr. entered at an unknown time after 12:37 pm.

          -Support for President's blockade decision
                -Kissinger
                -A Baptist official
                      -Dr. [Forename unknown] Jackson
          -Kissinger's briefing
                -Negotiations
                -Press response
                      -Attitude
                      -Compared with Cambodia
                -Comments about the Soviet Union
                -Soviet Summit
          -Blockade
                -President's peace terms
                -Ceasefire, Prisoners of war [POWs], withdrawal
                -Support
                      Democrats
                            -President's support for John F. Kennedy in 1962 Cuban missile
                                  crisis
                                  -Effect on President's gubernatorial campaign
                                  -Rockefeller
                            -Criticism
                                  -Reasons
                -Duration
                -Success
          -North Vietnam offensive
                -Latest reports
                      -Hue
                      -Kontum
                                  18

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. Dec-01)                 Conv. No. 338-31 (cont.)


          -South Vietnam losses
               -A firebase
      -Hue
      -South Vietnam counteraction
            -Spoiling tactics
-Blockade
      -Impact on South Vietnam morale
            -Ellsworth F. Bunker
            -Nguyen Van Thieu
            -Movement of forces
                  -First Airborne Division
-North Vietnam offensive
      -Hue
      -Kontum
      -Pleiku
      -Kontum
-Blockade
      -Supporters of the President
            -Message from President to Sir Alexander F. (“Alec”) Douglas-Home
      -Congressional response
            -Possible vote on antiwar legislation
-Air strikes
      -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
      -Public support
      -Targets
            -Petroleum, oils, and lubricants [POL] dumps
-Blockade
      -Mining operation
-Air strikes
      -POL dumps in Hanoi area
            -Protests from North Vietnam
-Negotiations
      -US stance
-North Vietnam offensive
      -Duration
            -Resources
                  -POL
      -Air strikes in North Vietnam
-President's decision to blockade
      -Forthcoming election
            -Edward M. Kennedy
      -Impact on US
                                        19

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. Dec-01)                 Conv. No. 338-31 (cont.)


          -Soviet response
          -Frank Shakespeare
                -Comments on Soviet position
          -Soviet Summit
                -President's position
                      -Kissinger’s view
     -Support for the President
          -Rockefeller
                -Call to the President

Harvard
    -Request for Kissinger’s resignation
    -Kissinger’s conversation with a former colleague

Vietnam
     -Press reports
           -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
     -Rogers
           -Statements
           -Appearance
           -Meeting with J. William Fulbright
     -President's speech
           -Comparison with other speeches
                 -Previous speech on Vietnam
           -Press comments
                 -Joseph W. Alsop
                 -Rowland Evans
                       -President's policies
                             -Withdrawal of troops
                       -An unknown person's praise for speech
                 -Alsop
     -Stakes for US and the free world
           -Consequences of US defeat
                 -The President’s view
                 -Military performance
                       -Kissinger’s view
     -Air strikes
           -Power plants
                 -Impact
           -Secondary targets
           -POL
           -Rails
                                            20

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Dec-01)            Conv. No. 338-31 (cont.)


                -Germany in World War II
                      -Targets in Britain
                -Air fields
                      -Timing
                            -Red Cross
                -Israelis

The President talked with Moorer between 12:56 and 12:58 pm.

[Conversation No. 338-31A]

[See Conversation No. 24-59]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Moorer
               -Public support
               -Rogers
                     -Statements
                     -Subcabinet briefing
                     -Statements
                     -Subcabinet
               -Support
                     -Columnists
                           -"Hawks"
                           -Kissinger meeting
                           -Richard (“Dick”) Wilson
                           -William S. White
                           -Alsop
                           -Evans
          -Soviet Summit
               -Cancellation
               -Possibility
               -President's decision
               -Plans
               -Cancellation
                     -Timing
               -A statement
                     -Rogers
               -Postponement
                                              21

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Dec-01)                  Conv. No. 338-31 (cont.)


                 -President's Vietnam policies
                       -Impact
           -Blockade
                 -Impact
           -North Vietnam offensive
                 -Possibility of South Vietnam defeat
                       -US options
                             -US Marines
                                   -Military exercises
                 -South Vietnam operations
                       -I Corps
                             -Hue
           -Air strikes
                 -B-52 sorties
                 -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
                       -Intensity
                             -Impact on North Vietnam
                                   -Compared with World War I artillery barrages
                       -Abrams
                             -Use of air power
                             -Command structure
                                   -Forthcoming meeting

     [Unintelligible]

Kissinger and Haig left at 1:12 pm.