Conversation No. 375-14

Date: October 26, 1972
Time: 2:05 pm - 2:29 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. Discontinuities occurred at the time of original
recording.

         Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
             -Henry A. Kissinger’s recent press briefing
                 -John A. Scali’s view
                     -Kissinger’s possible briefings for networks and wire services
                           24

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                   Tape Subject Log
                     (rev. Oct-06)

         -The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
         -1972 election as factor in negotiations
         -Nature of agreement
              -Compared with George McGovern’s position
              -Prisoners of war [POWs]
              -Integrity of South Vietnamese government
              -Arms and assistance to South Vietnamese
              -Complete withdrawal of US forces
                   -Timing
-Press interpretation
    -Lead press story
         -“Peace is at hand”
    -Assessments of Kissinger’s briefing
    -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
    -Charles W. Colson
    -Scali
-Points to be made at briefing
    -The President’s view
-Herbert G. Klein
-Ronald L. Ziegler
    -Skill as a briefer
         -Compared with Kissinger
-Stage of negotiations
    -Timing
-Kissinger
-McGovern’s position
    -Administration response
         -Nguyen Van Thieu’s role
-Kissinger
-Signing of agreement
    -Haig’s concern
         -Timing
         -Thieu
-Administration strategy
    -Public opinion
         -Colson’s analysis
              -Corruption issue damage
                   -Soft suburbanites
                   -Labor
                   -South
    -Bombing pause
                                     25

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. Oct-06)

             -Haig
                 -John B. Connally
                 -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
             -Preparation of talking paper
                 -Surrogates
             -“Peace with honor” compared with “peace with surrender”

The President’s schedule
    -The President’s forthcoming trip to West Virginia and Kentucky
        -Timing

White House staff and public relations
   -John D. Ehrlichman

Vietnam pace settlement negotiations and 1972 campaign
    -Kissinger and the President
         -Forthcoming trip to California
    -Thieu
         -Possible statements
    -Statements about McGovern’s campaign tactics
         -Clark Macgregor, Robert J. Dole
         -Colson
             -Unity of White House statements
    -McCovern stance on Vietnam
         -White House attacks
         -Surrender
         -POWs
    -Administration readiness to attack McGovern
         -McGovern’s strategy
             -Colson’s view
    -Haig’s view of the press at Kissinger’s briefing
         -McGovern’s supporters in the press
             -Reaction to progress in the peace talks
                  -Kissinger’s response
         -Murrey Marder’s reaction
    -Settlement
         -Press view
             -Coalition government
                  -Thieu
             -Partial cease-fire
             -POWs
                                              26

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Oct-06)

                     -Laos
                     -Cambodia
                 -Incompleteness
                 -Public relations
                     -Translation issues
                     -Press
             -Kissinger’s meeting with Scali on briefing preparation


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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Haldeman left at 2:29 pm.