Conversation No. 381-1

Date: December 13, 1972
Time: 10:54 am – 12:25 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

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

[The conversation was in progress when the recording began]

       Vietnam negotiations
            -Public relations [PR]
                  -Paris
                  -Nguyen Van Thieu
                  -Henry A. Kissinger
                         -Press relations
                               -Photographs
                                      -Xuan Thuy
                                      -Response
                                            -Haldeman
                                            -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                                      -Effect
                                      -Haldeman’s conversations with Kissinger

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 11:25 a.m.

       Second term reorganization
            -First Lady’s staff
                   -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                          -Ziegler’s telephone call to Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                          -Ziegler’s schedule
                                -Press briefing
                          -Constance M (Cornell) (“Connie”) Stuart
                          -Ziegler’s meeting with Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Mrs. Nixon
                                -Tone
                                -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                                       -Assistant to the First Lady
                                -Press Assistant to the First Lady
                                               -2-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. May-08)

                                                                Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)

                                      -Helen Smith
                                      -Ziegler’s role
                               -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                                      -Press relations
                                            -Initiative
                                      -Job description

The President talked with Haig.

[Conversation No. 381-1A]

[See Conversation No. 34-62]

[End of telephone conversation]

       Second term reorganization
            -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                   -Assistant to the First Lady
                         -Job description
                                -Duties
                                      -Compared to assistants to the President
                                      -East Wind, residence
                                      -Staff
                                             -Press Office
                                             -Social office
                                             -Residence
                                      -Work with the President’s staff
                                             -White House events
                                      -State Department Protocol Office
                                      -Compared to Haldeman
                   -Meeting with Ziegler and Mrs. Nixon
                         -Press Assistant to the First Lady
                                -Ziegler’s role
                                -Press office
                                      -Briefings
                                             -Frequency
                   -Press relations
                         -Betty Beale
                         -Mrs. Nixon’s role
                   -Meeting with Ziegler and Mrs. Nixon
                                               -3-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. May-08)

                                                              Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)

                         -Press relations
                    -Schedule
                         -Trip
                         -Christmas
                         -Stuart
                               -Departure
                         -1973 Inauguration
                    -Departure
                         -Ziegler’s conversation with Mrs. Nixon

       Ziegler’s press conference
             -Kissinger’s schedule
                   -Return from Paris
                   -Meeting with the President
                         -Purpose
                               -Consultation
                         -Timing
             -Vietnam negotiations
                   -Kissinger’s communications with Le Duc Tho
                   -Meetings
                         -Technical experts
                   -Status
                         -Possible breakthrough
                               -“No comment” response
                                     -Hanoi, Saigon
                         -Haig’s conversation with Kissinger
                         -Ambivalence
                         -Exchange of messages
                               -Kissinger and Le Duc Tho
                                     -Phrasing

       Press relations
             -Kissinger
                    -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston’s article
                         -The President’s view

       Julie Nixon Eisenhower’s schedule
             -Ziegler

Ziegler left at 11:40 am.
                                              -4-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. May-08)

                                                                Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)


Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 11:40 am and 12:25 pm.

[Conversation No. 381-1B]

       The President’s schedule
            -Meetings
                  -George P. Shultz
                  -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
                  -Shultz

[End of telephone conversation]

             -Pre-Blair House meetings
                   -Military compared to political aides
                         -Receptions
                               -Identification of supporters
                                      -Clark MacGregor
                                      -Charles W. Colson’s role
                                            -Reception for 1972 election supporters
                                      -Reception for 1972 election supporters
                                            -Unknown person
                                      -Example
                                            -Southern Ohio
                                      -Colson’s letter
             -Reception for 1972 election supporters
                   -Labor leaders, Democrats
                   -New Majority
                   -Hosts
                         -John A. Volpe
                         -Peter J. Brennan
                         -Colson
             -Volpe
             -Reception for 1972 election supporters
                   -Hosts
                         -Volpe
                         -Colson
                               -Introduction of supporters
                                      -Symbolism
                                           -5-

                 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. May-08)

                                                            Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)

      Second term reorganization
           -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                  -Future


*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

      House purchase
           -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
           -Pool
           -Privacy
           -Georgetown
           -Foxhall Road
           -Specifications
                 -Virginia

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************


      The President’s schedule
           -Receptions
                 -Hand-shaking
                 -Christmas lights
                 -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
           -Cabinet dinner
           -Camp David
           -Cabinet dinner
           -White House church services
                 -New Majority
                 -John Cardinal Krol
                 -Terence Cardinal Cooke’s schedule
                        -1973 Inauguration
                 -Krol
                 -New Majority
           -Mrs. Nixon’s schedule
                 -Diplomatic children’s reception
           -Reception for surrogates and campaign workers
                 -Candlelight tour
                                      -6-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. May-08)

                                                       Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)

     -Christmas events
           -Staff open house and tour
           -Reception for surrogates and campaign workers
                 -White House staff
                       -Dwight L. Chapin
                       -Gordon C. Strachan
                       -Domestic Council
                       -National Security Council [NSC]
           -White House staff families
           -Press
                 -Candlelight tour
                 -White House staff families
           -Candlelight tours
                 -Congressional relations
     -New Majority
     -Reception for 1972 election supporters

Vietnam negotiations
     -Haig
            -Location
            -Role
                  -Kissinger
     -Kissinger’s cable
            -US bombing south of 20th Parallel
            -Ellsworth F. Bunker
            -Thieu
                  -Possible meeting with Thieu
     -Settlement agreement
            -Thieu’s rejection
                  -The President’s conversation with Haig
                  -Overthrow of Thieu
                  -Bunker
                  -William P. Rogers
                  -Agnew
                  -George S. McGovern
                  -Agnew
                  -Effect
                        -South Vietnam
                  -Overthrow of Thieu
     -US public opinion
                                        -7-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. May-08)

                                                          Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)

            -Louis P. Harris polls
                  -Prisoners of War [POWs]
                  -Cease-fire
                  -Free elections
                  -South Vietnam
                        -Clause
                        -Demilitarized Zone [DMZ]
      -Kissinger
            -Mood
                  -The President’s conversation with Haig
            -Behavior
                  -Haig’s view
            -Negotiator
                  -Self-interest compared to national interest
            -Reston article

US-Soviet Union and US-People’s Republic of China [PRC] relations
    -Kissinger’s role

NSC
      -Haig’s possible role
           -Army background
           -Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
                 -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
           -Kissinger’s possible departure
           -Foreign policy
           -Bureaucracy
                 -Army background

Congressional relations
     -The President’s attempted to telephone call to [Carl B. Albert]
           -Message
                 -William E. Timmons
                        -Albert’s Secretary, Mrs. [Thomas] Hale Boggs
     -Relationship with John C. Stennis
           -Relationship with Dr. James R. Schlesinger
                 -Haldeman’s conversation with Schlesinger
                 -Possible meeting

Second term reorganization
                                      -8-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. May-08)

                                                        Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)

     -Richard M. Helms
          -Ambassadorship to Iran
                -Condition
                       -Schlesinger confirmation [as Director of Central Intelligence
                        Agency]
                             -Outsider status
          -Press relations
     -Ambassadors
          -Age questions
                -Foreign service
                -Promotions
                -Retirement age
                       -Dr. David K. E. Bruce
                       -Career ambassadors
                             -U. Alexis Johnson
          -Johnson
                -Possible Ambassador at Lodge
                -Health
                       -Saigon
          -William H. Sullivan
                -Saigon
                -Kissinger
                       -Japan [?]

Kissinger
      -Behavior
      -Conversation with Haig
      -Television [TV] statement
            -Haig’s view
      -Relationship with Haig

Vietnam negotiations
     -US bombing south of 20th Parallel
           -Pace
                 -The President’s conversation with Haig
                 -Compared to the US bombing of Hanoi-Haiphong area
                       -B-52s
                       -Criticism
                 -Military purpose
     -Kissinger’s view
                                      -9-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. May-08)

                                                       Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)

           -Minutiae
     -Kissinger
           -Negotiator
                 -“Peace is at hand” statement, October 26, 1972
                        -Effect
                 -The President’s possible TV statement
                        -Blame on North Vietnam
                 -Settlement agreement
                 -North Vietnam
                        -US-South Vietnam relations
                 -The President’s message to Kissinger
                        -North Vietnam’s intransigence
                              -Effect
                                    -Congressional aid to South Vietnam
     -US position
     -Public opinion
           -US bombing of North Vietnam
                 -The President’s possible TV statement
                        -Haldeman’s view

Second term reorganization
     -Schlesinger’s confirmation
           -Helms’s assistance
                 -Stennis
           -The President’s meeting with Stennis
           -Possible difficulty
     -Confirmation
           -Press relations
                 -Washington, DC
                 -Examples
                        -Supreme Court, Attorney General
           -Internal Revenue Service [IRS]

Congressional relations
     -Edward M. Kennedy’s statement
           -News summary
           -The President’s trip to the PRC
           -Public opinion
                 -Partisanship
           -Watergate
                                     -10-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. May-08)

                                                      Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)

           -1972 election
           -Cooperation
                -The President’s trip to the PRC

Second term reorganization
     -Congressional relations
     -Need for drama
           -Cabinet changes
           -Announcements
                 -George P. Shultz
                 -Press relations
           -Change in Executive Branch structure
                 -Timing
                       -First half of second term
                       -Cabinet departments

The President’s schedule
     -Possible meetings with black leaders
           -Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.
           -Leonard Garment’s role
           -Jordan
           -Black caucus
                  -Liberals
           -Administration supporters
           -Roy Wilkins
           -Jordan
           -Previous meetings
                  -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan

Vietnam negotiations
     -Kissinger
           -Work habits
                 -Effect
                       -Emotional strain
           -Expectations of success
           -Kissinger’s recommendations
                 -US bombing of North Vietnam
                 -The President’s conversations with Haig
                 -Absence of objectivity
           -Haig
                                       -11-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. May-08)

                                                         Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)

            -Treatment of NSC staff
            -Relationship with Haig
            -Mental health
                  -Haig’s view
                  -Timing
                        -Pressures
            -Rogers
                  -Departure
                        -Timing
                              -Settlement agreement
                        -Acceptance
                              -Rogers’s conversations with Haldeman and the President
            -Informing Thieu
                  -Haig’s view
                        -Cables
                  -Cables
                        -Contingencies
            -Cables
                  -Challenge
                        -Conversations
                              -Tone
                  -Haig
            -Trip to Moscow

Public relations [PR]
      -Rogers
             -Mail
             -The President’s trips to the PRC and the Soviet Union
             -Compared to Kissinger

Second term reorganization
     -Kissinger’s role
           -Appointments
                 -Defense Departments
                 -Ambassadorships
           -Valve
           -Foreign Service Officers [FSOs]
           -Veto
     -Unknown person
     -Foreign affairs
                                             -12-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. May-08)

                                                             Conversation No. 381-1 (cont’d)

                  -Elliot L. Richardson
                  -Liberals
                        -Resignations
                               -Cambodia invasions
                        -Defense Department

       The President’s schedule
            -Diplomatic reception
                  -Location
                         -West Wing
                               -Oval Office
                               -Roosevelt Room
                                    -Lobby
                               -Oval Office
                                    -Christmas decorations
                         -Diplomatic Reception Room
                  -Invitations
                         -List
            -Meeting with Schlesinger
            -Meeting with Shultz
                  -Edwin S. Cohen

Haldeman left at 12:25 pm.