Conversation No. 375-21

Date: October 26, 1972
Time: 3:15 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
                                     29

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. Oct-06)


Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
    -The President’s forthcoming conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
    -The President’s previous conversation with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
    -Kissinger’s briefing for White House surrogates
        -Haldeman’s role
        -Haig’s role
        -Charles W. Colson
        -Ronald L. Ziegler
    -White House response to press reports
        -The President’s view
        -John A. Scali
        -John B. Connally
        -William P. Rogers
        -Melvin R. Laird
        -Colson’s role
        -Kissinger’s role
    -Importance of cease-fire talks to 1972 election
        -Administration stance
             -Timing of cease-fire
             -North Vietnam
                  -Kissinger’s statement
    -McGeorge Bundy’s appearance on Columbia Broadcasting
     System [CBS]
        -Settlement timing
        -Kissinger's conversation with Bundy
             -The President’s view
    -Bundy’s statements
        -William F. Buckley
        -North Vietnam
             -October 8, 1972 concessions
                  -POWs
    -Kissinger
        -Backgrounder
        -The President’s recent conversation with Haig
        -Recent press briefing
             -Points
                  -“Peace with surrender”
    -Kissinger’s relationship with “peaceniks”, politicians
        -The President’s view
        -Colson and Scali’s role
                                            30

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Oct-06)



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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 38s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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        Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
            -Public relations
            -Importance as a political issue
            -Kissinger’s public relations role
                -Relationship with the press
                     -Joseph C. Kraft
                     -Walter L. Cronkite, Jr., David Brinkley, John
                       Chancellor (New York), Richard G. Valeriani, Dan
                       Rather, [Arnold] Eric Sevareid
                -Kissinger’s persuasiveness
                     -Truth
                -Handwritten note from the President

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and
3:28 pm.

[Conversation No. 375-21A]

[See Conversation No. 32-59]

[End of telephone conversation]

        Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
            -US position
                -1972 election
                    -The President’s recent conversation with Haig
                         -Kissinger
                                             31

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Oct-06)

The White House operator talked with the President at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and
3:28 pm.

[Conversation No. 375-21B]

[See Conversation No. 32-60]

The President talked with Haig between 3:28 pm and 3:29 pm.

[Conversation No. 375-21C]

[See Conversation No. 32-61]

[End of telephone conversation]

        Vietnam peace negotiations
            -Possible press conference by the President
                -Clark MacGregor’s and Colson‘s view
                -Possible press conference on Air Force One
                     -The President’s forthcoming trip to California
            -Kissinger, Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman
                          -Expanded press pool
                               -Associated Press [AP]
                          -Press coverage
                          -Questions about the 1972 election and Vietnam
                     -Radio talk
                     -Press relations
                          -Newspaper coverage
                          -Informal nature of question and answer [Q&A] session
                               -Photographers
                          -Ziegler
                          -Arrangement of staff and press pool
                               -Strategy on answering
                          -Philip Potter
                          -Peter Lisagor, Washington Post
                          -Garnett D. (“Jack”) Horner
                          -Networks
                          -News magazines
                               -Time, U.S. News and World Report
                          -Informal meeting compared with office press conference
                               -Sarah McClendon
                                              32

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Oct-06)

                                  -Donald H. Segretti
                     -The President’s possible response to questions
                          -Staff
                          -1972 campaign
                     -Potter
                     -CBS
                          -Dan Rather
                     -Theodore H. (“Teddy”) White
                     -Showmanship
                     -1972 election
                     -Timing
                          -San Clemente
                 -Purpose
                     -Record

        The President’s schedule

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 10m 17s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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Haldeman left at 4:00 pm.