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Conversation: 338-041

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Start Date: 11-May-1972 11:43 AM

End Date: 11-May-1972 12:40 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Colson, Charles W.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")White House operatorScott, HughGriffin, Robert P.[Unknown person(s)]

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:20:20

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:11:47

338a.mp3

338b.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:43 am to 12:40 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 338-041 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 338-41

Date: May 11, 1972
Time: 11:43 am-12:40 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
                -Press reports
                      -Confusion
          -President's meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                -Discussion
                      -Polish language and Russian language
          -Soviet summit
                -Cancellation
                      -Henry A. Kissinger
                      -Public response
          -Blockade
                -Polls
                      -Wilbur D. Mills
                            -Comments about Harry S. Truman
                      -Democrats
                      -Opinion Research Corporation [ORC] poll
                            -Network coverage
                      -Albert E. Sindlinger and ORC polls
                            -New York Times and Washington Post coverage
                -New York Times advertisement
                      -Drafting
                      -Sindlinger (?)
                -Hugh Scott and Robert P. Griffin
                      -Television appearance
                                              32

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Dec-01)


                           -Defense of the President

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:43 and
11:49 am.

[Conversation No. 338-41A]

[See Conversation No. 24-75]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Supporters of the President
               -Criticism of Democrats
               -Scott
                     -Defense of the President
                     -Notification of Senate
                           -Possible leaks
                           -Military considerations
               -Opponents
                     -The President’s view
               -Scott
                     -John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
                           -Roles in Vietnam
                     -Opposing senators
                     -Network coverage
               -Melvin R. Laird press conference
                     -Television coverage
               -Scott
                     -Rhetoric
                     -Press conference
                           -Criticism of media
                           -Effect on Capitol Hill

The President talked with Scott between 11:49 and 11:51 am.

[Conversation No. 338-41B]

[See Conversation No. 24-76]

[End of telephone conversation]
                                               33

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Dec-01)
                                                                    Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)


     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Public support
                    -Radio shows
                    -Local polls
                          -Publicity efforts

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:51 and
11:56 am.

[Conversation No. 338-41C]

[See Conversation No. 24-77]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Public opinion
                    -Change
                          -Polls
                          -Increase
                    -Glenn J. Beall, Jr.
                          -Call to Colson
                                -Montgomery County, Maryland
                          -Change in opinion
                    -Richard S. Schweiker
                    -Support for the President
                          -Spontaneity
               -Networks
                    -Criticism
                          -Scott, Griffin
                    -Report on polls
                    -Criticism
                    -Credit
                    -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                          -Frank Stanton
                    -Reports
                    -Hue battle
                          -CBS
                                -Dan Rather
                                             34

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Dec-01)
                                                                  Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
                    -Howard K. Smith
                          -Qualified support
                          -Meeting with Kissinger
                    -Democratic critics
                -Mervin Field poll
                    -Los Angeles Times
                    -Approval rating
                          -Conclusion

The President talked with Griffin between 11:56 and 11:57 am.

[Conversation No. 338-41D]

[See Conversation No. 24-78]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Public support
                    -A letter
                    -Polls
                    -Scott and Griffin
                          -Today show
                          -Face the Nation appearance
                               -Local polls
               -Church
                    -National City Christian Church [Washington, DC]
                          -Lyndon B. Johnson
                          -Minister
                               -Support for the President
                               -Letter to the President
                          -Church service invitation
                          -Denomination
                               -Whittier, California
                               -Doctrine
                                     -Compared with Presbyterians
                               -Location
                                     -Lyndon B. Johnson
                                     -Thomas Circle [Washington, DC]
               -Press reports
                    -Warnings of possible World War III
                             35

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. Dec-01)
                                                      Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
      -People's Republic of China [PRC] protests
      -Effect on foreign policy
            -President's PRC trip
            -Soviet Summit
            -Progress
-Letter to the President
      -Parents of killed-in-action [KIA]
      -Parents of Air Force enlistee
-Public support
      -Tone
      -Bakersfield City Council
      -Democrats
      -Letter and wires to the President
            -President, Dakota State College, Madison, South Dakota
            -College president
            -National Rifle Association [NRA]
                  -Power
            -Cuban exiles
                  -Rolando (?) Espinosa of Miami
      -Cubans
            -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
      -Letters to the President
            -Mufreesboro, Tennessee parents of enlistee
            -College Republicans
                  -Scottsdale College
            -Democrats, liberals
                  -Carl and Edna [Surname unknown]
            -President, Central Missouri State College
                  -Warren [Surname unknown]
      -Louis P. Harris poll
            -Results
                  -Sindlinger and ORC polls
            -Publicity
      -Messages to the President
            -Democrats
                  -Max Barash
                  -Poem
                        -Young woman
            -Television
                  -Western Union
            -Frank L. Rizzo
            -James Drury
                            36

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. Dec-01)
                                           Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
           -William E. Brock, III
           -John Wayne
           -Omar N. Bradley
                 -Mrs. Bradley
                 -Democratic affiliation
     -Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
     -Letters to Congressmen
           -Number
           -Number for the President
                 -Ratio
     -Messages to the White House
-Democrats
     -Silence
     -George S. McGovern
           -Statements
     -Hubert H. Humphrey
           -Statements
     -Barry M. Goldwater statement
-Dr. Carl McIntyre
     -Rally for the President
           -John Birch Society
           -Statement
-Democrats in Congress
     -Impeachment resolution
           -John Conyers, Jr.
           -Ronald V. Dellums
           -Bella S. Abzug
           -William Ryan
           -Shirley Chisholm
           -Emanuel Celler’s view
-Protests
     -Prayer vigil
           -[Forename unknown] Murphy
           -Location
           -Purpose
                 -The President’s view
           -Criticism by a doctor
     -Madison, Wiscosin
           -Size
     -Albuquerque protesters
           -Haldeman’s view
     -Television coverage
                             37

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. Dec-01)
                                                    Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
           -Appearance
           -Slogans
      -Demonstrations
           -Radicalism
           -Moderates
                 -Alienation
                 -Cambodia
                 -Kent State
      -Wisconsin
      -University of Minnesota
      -Prayer vigil
           -Harold E. Hughes
           -Paul N. McCloskey
           -Abzug
           -Edward M. Kennedy
           -Alan Cranston
           -Kennedy
-William P. Rogers
      -Meeting with the President
           -Reason
                 -A press story
                 -John B. Connally
      -National Security Council [NSC] meeting
           -Kissinger
-Business Council
-Testimony
-Press conference
      -Handling
-Meeting with the President
      -Purpose
-Press conference
      -Handling
      -Answer to Soviets
      -Handling
           -Laird
           -Congress
-Legislation
      -Funds predictability
           -Rogers
                 -Administration line
                       -Soviet Summit
                 -Eagerness to make an appearance
                                              38

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Dec-01)
                                                                    Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
                                       -Laird
                                       -Kissinger
                -Legislative funds cut-off
                     -Senate
                     -House of Representatives
                     -Peace offer
                     -Offensive military action

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time after 11:57 am.

[Converstion No. 338-41E]

                -Copy of Congressional resolution
                    -Location

[End of telephone conversation]

               -Offensive capability
                     -Surveillance
                     -Kissinger
                     -Delays
          -Blockade
               -Soviet reply
               -Statement
               -Summit possibility
               -Meeting with Patolichev
               -Democrats
               -Polls
                     -Results
                     -Field
                     -Questions
          -US stakes in Vietnam
               -Communists
          -Support
               -Scott
               -Beall
               -Frank F. Church

The President talked to an unknown person at an unknown time before 12:40 pm.

[Conversation No. 338-41F]
                                             39

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Dec-01)
                                                              Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
     Kissinger’s location
          -Meeting

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -Public relations
               -Advertisements
                      -Herbert G. Klein
                      -Republican publications
               -Attacks on media
                      -Network executives and editors
                            -Propaganda
                            -News stories

     Rockefeller
         -Talk with the President
         -New York Times story
               -Terence Cardinal Cooke
         -News stories
               -American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
               -Washington Post
               -New York Times

     A news story
         -Ronald L. Ziegler
               -Polls
               -Telegrams and letters

     Vietnam
          -President's policies
                -Polls
                      -Publicity
                      -Questions
                            -Results
                                 -Change in opinion
                      -Support for the President
                            -Hawkish sentiment
                            -Percentages
                            -Compared with Cambodian action
                                              40

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Dec-01)
                                                          Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 16s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
                -Support for the President
          -Laird
          -Rogers
                -International law
          -Kissinger
                -Meeting with Congressional leaders
                      -Schedule

Colson and Haldeman left at 12:40 pm.