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Conversation: 397-005

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Start Date: 19-Jan-1973 9:35 AM

End Date: 19-Jan-1973 10:55 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Price, Raymond K., Jr.Kissinger, Henry A.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

397-005a.mp3

397-005b.mp3

NARA Description:

On January 19, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Raymond K. Price, Jr., and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:35 am to 10:55 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 397-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 397-5

Date: January 19, 1973
Time: 9:35 am - 10:55 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Raymond K. Price, Jr.

       President's Inaugural speech
             -Past accomplishments
                    -Peking, Moscow, Vietnam
             -Wording
                    -Revisions
             -Great powers' relations
             -Vietnam references
             -Bold initiatives
             -Vietnam
             -Wording
                    -New directions
             -Vietnam
             -Peking, Moscow, Vietnam
             -Saigon
             -New relationships
                    -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                    -Soviet Union
             -Wording
                    -Development of new policies
             -Vietnam references
             -Foreign policy in general
                    -Change
             -Peking, Moscow
                                              -4-

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                          Conversation No. 397-5 (cont’d)

             -Vietnam War
             -New initiatives
             -Great powers' relationships
             -1972 accomplishments
                   -Wording
                          -World War II
                   -Peking and Moscow trips
                          -New relationships
                          -Wording
             -Revisions
                   -Paternalism reference
                          -Wording
                               -Self help
                   -Style
                          -Simplicity
                   -Liberty reference
                          -Government references
                          -Wording

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 10:05 am.

       Kissinger's schedule
             -Paris
             -Meeting with Price

       President's Inaugural speech
             -Review of foreign policy portions
             -Wording
                    -Tone
                    -John F. Kennedy's Inaugural speech
             -Portions for Kissinger's review
                    -Domestic issues

       President's schedule
             -Meeting with Price

Price left at 10:12 am.

       Price's work
                                      -5-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                    Conversation No. 397-5 (cont’d)

     -Quality

Florida trip
      -Weather

Vietnam settlement
     -Status
     -Barry M. Goldwater, John C. Stennis
     -Prospects
           -President's Inaugural speech
     -Nguyen Van Thieu
     -Kissinger's statement
           -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
     -Ending the war
           -Thieu
                  -Resignation
     -Compared to October 1972 agreements
           -North Vietnamese text
     -Public statements
           -Press reaction
           -Changes since October 1972
                  -[First name unknown] Leeks [?]
                  -Michael J. “Mike” Mansfield
                         -Concessions
           -Impasse
                  -North Vietnamese position
                         -Prisoners of War [POWs]
           -December 1972 bombing
                  -Effects
           -Breakthrough
                  -Press response
     -Thieu
           -Haig's schedule

President's schedule
      -Meeting with Haig
      -Inaugural activities
             -Inaugural speech
             -Swearing-in ceremony
                                     -6-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                      Conversation No. 397-5 (cont’d)

          -Parade
          -Balls
          -Worship service
          -Family reception
     -Cease-fire announcement
          -President's preparation

Vietnam settlement
     -Cease-fire announcement
           -Thieu
                  -Press coverage
                  -National assembly
                  -Changes to agreement
                  -Ellsworth F. Bunker
     -Possible trip to Saigon
           -Spiro T. Agnew
     -Bombing

Agnew
    -Relationships with President
    -Role of Vice President
          -Clinton Rossiter's book
                 -President's work as Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower
                       -1958
                       -Caracas
                       -Moscow trip
                       -Nikita Khrushchev
                       -Eisenhower's heart attack
    -Interests
          -Travel
                 -William P. Rogers
                 -Possible results
          -Iranian oil companies
          -Peoples Republic of China [PRC] trip
          -Moscow trip
    -Possible trips
          -Southeast Asia
          -Saigon
          -Moscow
                               -7-

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                       Tape Subject Log
                         (rev. Jan.-09)

                                               Conversation No. 397-5 (cont’d)

             -Pre-negotiations
      -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John N. Mitchell
-President's travels under Eisenhower
      -Korea
             -Message
             -Negotiations
      -Trip around world
             -John Foster Dulles
      -Eisenhower's attitude
             -Franklin D. Roosevelt
             -Harry S. Truman
      -State Department preparations
      -North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Afghanistan
      -Results
             -Compared to Agnew
      -Inauguration of Arturo Frondizi
             -Dulles
      -Ghana
             -State Department
      -Central America in 1955
      -Latin America in 1958
             -Initiative
      -Soviet Union
             -Initiative
                    -Dulles, Christian A. Herter
-Trips
      -Purpose
-Role of negotiator
      -Kissinger
      -Agnew
             -Press conferences
-Possible action by President
-Possible trip
      -Southeast Asia, India
      -Cambodia, Laos, South Vietnam
      -Thailand
      -Indonesia
      -Southeast Asia
                                     -8-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                     Conversation No. 397-5 (cont’d)

Vietnam settlement
     -Kissinger's schedule
           -President's announcement
                  -Timing
                  -Preparation
                         -Press questions
     -Agreement
     -Haldeman
     -Thieu
     -Press statements
     -Thieu's position
           -Haig
     -Press relations
           -Columbia Broadcast System [CBS]
           -Coverage
                  -Withdrawal for Prisoners of War [POWs]
                  -History books
     -Haig’s trip to Saigon
     -Possible Thieu meeting
           -Concessions
           -Sale option
           -Agnew
           -President
                  -Travel
     -Announcement
           -Timing
     -Kissinger's schedule
     -Possible announcement by the President
           -Thieu's position
                  -Rejection
     -President's attitude
     -Possible signing and initialing
           -Follow-up
           -Kissinger’s role
           -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
           -State Department
           -Haig
     -Thieu
           -National assembly
                                            -9-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                            Conversation No. 397-5 (cont’d)

             -Haig
             -Goldwater, Stennis
                   -Congressional support
                        -Announcement
                        -Unanimous agreement

       Kissinger's schedule
             -Meeting with Price
                   -Timing
             -Meeting with friends
             -Meeting with Price
             -Meeting with Marshall Green and U. Alexis Johnson
                   -Possible follow-up with President
                         -Message
             -Meeting with Price
                   -Timing

Kissinger left at 10:55 am.