Conversation: 374-003
Prev: 374-002 Next: 374-004Start Date: 25-Oct-1972 4:40 PM
End Date: 25-Oct-1972 5:40 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.; Sanchez, Manolo; White House operator; [Unknown person(s)]; Kissinger, Henry A.;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On October 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, unknown person(s), and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:40 pm to 5:40 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 374-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 374-3
Date: October 25, 1972
Time: 4:40 pm - 5:40 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Charles W. Colson.
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 53s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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Watergate
-George S. McGovern
-Television [TV] appearance, October 25, 1972
-H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Effect on 1972 election
-Polls
-Albert E. Sindlinger’ s view
-Possible voting margins
-Press release
-Undecided
-Reaction to news stories
-Washington Post
-White House response
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Haldeman-Dwight L. Chapin memorandum
-Haldeman’s view
-George E. Christian rumor
-John A. Scali
-San Francisco
-Vietnam
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-The President’s view
-Kenneth W. Clawson’s view
Press relations
-Nature of relationship
-Katherine L. Graham
-Henry A. Kissinger, White House staff
-The President’s threat
-William P. Rogers
-Dedication of Washington Post building
-The New York Times and Washington Post
-White House strategy
-Richard Scaife, W. Clement Stone, John A. Mulcahy
-Influence
-Charles Percy, John Sherman Cooper, Marlow W. Cook, Robert T.
Stafford
-Graham
-Georgetown
-Influence of Washington Post
-Daniel L. Schorr, Carl Stern
-American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
-Chapin story news coverage
-The President's appearance before prisoners of war [POWs]
families group
-Administration strategy
-John B. Connally's advice
-Public opinion
-Watergate
-Ziegler's response
-Robert J. Dole, Clark MacGregor
-Possible libel suit
-Haldeman, Chapin
-Colson
-Possible testimony
-Neal B. Freeman
-Benjamin C. Bradlee
Policy toward the Press
-The President’s view
-Compared to the President’s handling of North Vietnam,
Cambodia, Laos
-May 8, 1972 decision
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Kissinger
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Washington Post
-Clawson’s conversation with Kissinger
-Bradlee
-Philip L. Geyelin
-Influence
-Television stations owned by Washington Post
-WTOP
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Miami
-Federal Communications Commission [FCC] action on license renewal
-The President’s view
Watergate
-Polls
-Albert E. Sindlinger
Use of radio and TV
-Administration strategy
-Haldeman
-1968 campaign
-Comparison
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:40 pm.
Colson talked with the White House operator at an unknown time after 4:40 pm.
[Conversation No. 374-3B]
[See Conversation No. 32-43A]
[End of conversation]
Washington Post, New York Times
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:16 pm.
Colson talked with an unknown woman at an unknown time before 5:16 pm.
[Conversation No. 374-3C]
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
[See conversation No. 32-43B]
[End of conversation]
Administration strategy and the press
-Clawson
-Scali's future plans in broadcast journalism
-The President’s view
-Scali’s previous work in journalism
-State Department
-Possible effect on network news
-Dan Rather
-Possible return to California
McGovern's forthcoming speech
-Views of Haldeman, Connally
-Possible response
Vietnam
-Colson's conversation with Jay Lovestone
-Connally’s TV appearance, October 20, 1972
-War as issue
-Importance of attacking McGovern’s stance
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 5:16 pm.
-Lovestone’s and George Meany's forthcoming briefing by Haig
-Coalition government issue
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
Watergate and campaign practices
-Polls
-Sindlinger’s view
-Effect on projected voting numbers
-The President's position
-Ziegler and MacGregor’s response on Watergate
-Washington Post
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6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 9s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
1972 campaign
-McGovern’s vacillation on issues
-Corruption charges
-Washington Post
-McGovern's description of the President's administration
-Compared with other campaign issues
-1952 comparison
-The Louis P. Harris poll
-The economy, relations with the People's
Republic of China [PRC], Soviet Union
-Vietnam War
-Current status of negotiations
-Harris poll numbers
-“Hawks”
-Uncertainty
-Settlement
-Timing
-1972 election
-Public perceptions
-Progress
-Thieu
-McGovern’s stance
-Response by the President’s surrogates
-Amnesty, POWs, surrender
-Harris
-Kissinger briefing
-Rogers
The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 4:40 and 5:16
pm.
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
[Conversation No. 374-3A]
The President’s request for attendance
[End of telephone conversation]
1972 campaign
-Vietnam War and possible peace settlement
-Harris’s analysis
-Kissinger
-McGovern’s stance
-Possible attack by Rogers
-Haig’s previous conversation with Colson
-Possible attack by Melvin R. Laird
-Laird’s schedule
-Europe
-Sindlinger’s view
Kissinger entered at 5:16 pm.
-Public perception of issue according to Harris, Sindlinger
-Timing of peace settlement compared with 1972 election
-Appearance of progress
-Haig’s briefing of Meany
-Meany’s attacks on McGovern
-Kissinger’s conversation with Howard K. Smith
-McGovern
-May 8, 1972, bombing and mining of Haiphong Harbor
-Nature of cease-fire agreement
-Coalition government
-Ziegler
-Achievement of goals
-Settlement
-Timing
-1972 election
-Perception of agreement
-Kissinger’s conversation with Max Frankel
-McGovern
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Administration strategy
-Political considerations
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Timing of briefing
-Television network coverage
-Newspaper coverage
Colson left at 5:23 pm.
Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
-Cease-fire efforts
-Possible response from North Vietnamese
-North Vietnamese statements
-Nguyen Van Thieu
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National security]
[Duration: _____51s_____]
INTELLIGENCE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
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-Thieu’s actions
-Timing of US response
-Compared to 1972 election
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 5:40 pm.
-Thieu’s future as US ally
-Dan Rather’s recent conversation with Kissinger
-Timing compared to 1972 election
-McGovern
-Administration strategy
-Kissinger’s meeting with Sir James Plimsoll
-Briefing for William McMahon
-Incentives
-Halt to US bombing
-Public perception of cease-fire agreement
-Conservatives
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Thieu
-Frequency of meetings with Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Political skills compared with military skills
-US political implication
-Smith’s view
-Kissinger’s view
-Coalition government
-Time article
-South Vietnamese actions
-Dispatches to Britain, Australia
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-George R.S. Baring (The Earl of Cromer)
-Haig
-Negotiations
-1968
-Compared to 1972
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Administration strategy
-Timing
-January 1, 1973, November 20, 1972
-Le Duc Tho possible meeting with Kissinger in Paris
-Settlement text
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 5:40 pm.
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Gen. William C. Westmoreland
-Haig
-North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam
-Economic assistance
Kissinger left at 5:40 pm.