Conversation No. 354-31

Date: October 6, 1972
Time: 2:35 pm - 3:22 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and Henry A. Kissinger.

        Greetings

        George S. McGovern's recent foreign policy speech

        People's Republic of China [PRC]
            -William P. Rogers
                 -India, Japan, Soviet Union
            -Abram J. Chayes and McGovern's advisers

        Vietnam negotiations
            -Draft of document
            -Nguyen Van Thieu
                -US intentions
                -Haig

        Haig's trip to South Vietnam

The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 3:22
pm.

[Conversation No. 354-30A]

        Charles W. Colson's office
            -McGovern's comments on PRC

[End of telephone conversation]

        Haig’s visit to South Vietnam
            -1968
            -Committee
                                17

        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. Oct-06)

     -Tripartite membership
-Thieu
     -Discussions with Haig
         -National Liberation Front [NLF]
     -Tripartite committee
         -Thieu’s view
         -Participants
     -Committee on National Reconciliation
         -Proposed government
         -Thieu
               -Haig’s view
         -South Vietnamese bureaucrats
         -Tripartite Committee
               -Reaction
               -Communist proposal
               -Possible consequences
         -Implementation of proposal
               -Thieu’s conversation with Haig
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
     -Haig
     -Thieu
         -Bunker’s view
         -South Vietnamese election
         -Committee of National Reconciliation
               -Thieu
                   -Administration proposal
     -Electoral commission
         -Administration proposal
               -North Vietnamese reaction
                   -Pham Van Dong
               -Thieu’s reaction
               -Recognition of North Vietnam
         -South Vietnam
         -South Korea
               -Park Chung Hee
-US efforts in Vietnam
     -Military efforts
     -Public relations
     -Effect on peace process
     -Soviet Union
     -PRC
                                    18

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                            Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. Oct-06)

        -Thieu
            -The President’s view

US action in Vietnam
    -Bombing
        -Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
    -South Vietnamese military
        -Haig’s view
        -Effect of US peace settlement
        -Ability
             -Kissinger’s view
        -III Corps
    -Vietnamization
        -Melvin R. Laird’s view
             -Air support
    -McGovern
    -Thieu
        -Position
             -Haig’s view
    -US peace proposals
        -Thieu
        -Election supervision
        -South Vietnam
             -Governance of area
        -Elections
        -Cease-fire
             -Cambodia
             -Laos
        -North Vietnamese troop withdrawal
             -Laos, Cambodia
             -South Vietnam
             -North Vietnamese reaction
        -South Vietnam possible agreement
             -Haig
             -Political issue
             -Outcome
        -North Vietnamese reaction
             -Effect on US
                  -Bombing
        -Thieu's possible response
             -Tripartite Committee
                                     19

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. Oct-06)

             -North Vietnamese troops
        -Government of National Concord
        -Possible press reaction
        -Pitfalls
             -Collapse of South Vietnam
        -Kissinger’s view
             -Need for North Vietnamese concessions

McGovern
   -Statement on the PRC
        -Asian security
        -Peking
            -US recognition
   -Japan
        -Economic policy proposal
            -PRC
            -Possible effect

Vietnam peace proposal
    -US public opinion
    -Withdrawal of forces
    -Cease-fire
    -Saigon
        -Kissinger
        -Haig’s trip to Vietnam
    -Coalition government
    -Potential problems
        -Assessment
    -Coalition government
    -US military
        -South Vietnamese situation
             -Timing of US withdrawal
                  -Effect of withdrawal
                      -Kissinger’s view
                      -Haig’s view
                           -Possible redeployment of US troops
    -South Vietnamese relations with the US
        -The President’s view
        -Kissinger’s view
             -US support
                  -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
                                              20

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Oct-06)

                               -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
                 -The President’s schedule
                      -John H. Holdridge
                 -US ambassadorship
                      -Unknown admiral
                          -Thailand
             -Thieu
                 -National Committee of Reconstruction
                      -Timing
                 -North Vietnam
                      -Proposals
                 -Coalition government
                      -US public opinion
                          -The President’s position
                 -Settlement
                      -Coalition
                          -Electoral commission
                          -Haig’s view
                          -Communists
                          -Stability
                               -Effect of timing
                      -Possible future developments

        Le Duc Tho

        Kissinger’s schedule
            -Unknown woman
                -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo

Kissinger and Haig left at 3:22 pm.