Conversation: 419-034
Prev: 419-033 Next: 419-035Start Date: 14-Mar-1973 4:25 PM
End Date: 14-Mar-1973 5:40 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; White House operator; Dean, John W., III; Sanchez, Manolo; Kissinger, Henry A.;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On March 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, White House operator, John W. Dean, III, Manolo Sanchez, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:25 pm to 5:40 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 419-034 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 419-34
Date: March 14, 1973
Time: 4:25 pm - 5:40 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.
Ziegler's press conference
-Executive privilege
-John W. Dean, III
-Watergate
-Administration cooperation with investigators
-John N. Mitchell
-Dean
-Richard A. Moore
-Further questions on Watergate
-Executive privilege
-Emphasis on cooperation
-Restrictions on raw files disclosure
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 4:25 pm and
4:34 pm.
-45-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
[Conversation No. 419-34A]
[See Conversation No. 37-107]
[End of telephone conversation]
Watergate
-Donald H. Segretti case
-Ziegler's statements
-White House involvement
The President talked with John W. Dean, III at an unknown time between 4:25 pm and 4:34 pm.
[Conversation No. 419-34B]
[See Conversation No. 37-108]
[End of telephone conversation]
Watergate
-Segretti case
-White House involvement
-Dwight L. Chapin's involvement
-Questions to Ziegler
-Political sabotage and espionage
-White House involvement
-Chapin-Segretti link
-Confirmation
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III's testimony
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] interviews
-Herbert W. Kalmbach
-Ziegler's remarks
-Use of FBI raw files
-American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU] guidelines
-Public release
-John Chancellor’s file
-Destruction
-Lyndon B. Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover
-46-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-William E. Timmons
-Wife
-Validity
-President’s file
-Ziegler’s file
-President's reply at press conference
-Dean's report
-White House involvement
-Ervin Committee investigation
-Guidelines
-Hearsay prohibition
-Press questions
-President's reaction to reports on Segretti
-Dean investigation
-Chapin involvement
The President talked with Dean between 4:34 pm and 4:36 pm.
[Conversation No. 419-34C]
[See Conversation No. 37-109]
[End of telephone conversation]
Watergate
-President's press conference
-Raw files disclosure
-Answer
-Dean's investigation
-Problems
-Further comments
-Segretti case
-Investigation
-Segretti's actions
-Chapin
-Hiring of Segretti
-Contacts of Segretti, Mitchell, and Kalmbach
-47-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
Wounded Knee incident
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-President’s response
-Justice Department investigation
-Indians' actions
-Buchanan
-Radicals
-President’s response
Shield laws
-President’s position
-Mitchell's policy
-Ziegler
-[First name unknown] Dixon’s testimony
-Justice Department
-Support for guidelines
-Legislation
-Questions about First Amendment
-Federal compared to state courts
-Restatement
-Conflict of rights
-Rights of reporters
-First Amendment
-Protection from crime
-President’s conversation with reporter
-Press coverage
-Ziegler’s attendance at joint meeting of press organizations [?]
-Definition of a reporter
-Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union [TASS] [?]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Dangers of law
-Emotional rhetoric
-Legislation
-First Amendment
-Passage
-Abuse of protection
-Congress
-48-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
-Discrediting of press
-State court decisions
-Bransburg [?] decision
-Federal remedy
-Meetings with American Bar Association [ABA]
-First Amendment
-Freedom of the press
-Qualifier
-End of contract
Congressional relations
-Executive privilege
-President’s letter [statement]
-Responsibility
-Fiscal side
-Political side
-Power of presidency
-Criticism
-Use by President
-Frequency
-Records
-Cooperation with Congress
-Dan Rather
-Briefing
-Dean [?]
-Television [TV]
-Alger Hiss case
-President’s experience
-FBI assistance
-Harry S Truman's Executive Order of non-cooperation with Congress
-Government departments
-Information sharing
-Comparison with current administration
-Nature of espionage
Watergate
-Ziegler's talk with James C. Haggerty
-Executive privilege
-49-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
-Army-McCarthy hearings
-Ziegler’s childhood memory
-Henry A. Kissinger [?]
-Dan Rather [?]
-As national issue
-Hearings on TV
-Testimony
-Mitchell, Maurice H. Stans, Chapin, Dean
-Segretti
-Subpoenas
-Executive privilege
-Mitchell
-Stans
-Joseph R. McCarthy hearings
-Mitchell, Stans and Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
-Hiss case
-Press stories and reactions
-Impact on establishment
-Press conference
-Questions
-Dean
-Gray
-Segretti case
-Dean's investigation
-White House staff
-Chapin
-Impact on White House staff
-Ziegler
-Confrontations with press
-Ervin hearings
-Guidelines for conduct
-Hearsay
-Gray
-Hearings
-John V. Tunney
-California
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-50-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
-Difficulties
Press conference questions
-North Vietnam
-Infiltration
-George P. Shultz’s Europe trip
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Paris
-International finance
-Press conference
-Soviet Jews
-Leonid I. Brezhnev [?]
-Pakistan
-US arms sale
-Announcement
-Protest
-Vietnam agreement
-North Vietnam’s infiltration
-PRC, USSR
-John T. Downey
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Release from PRC
Press conferences
-Balance
-Frequency
-Subjects
-Troop withdrawal
-Congress, domestic issues
-Vietnam settlement
-TV coverage
-Announcement before Congress
-Response
-Benefits
Amnesty
-Frequency
-Staggered pattern
-Control
-51-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
-Role as event for publicity
-Compared to Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy
-Kennedy
-Events for publicity
-Staggered patterns
-Press coverage
-Live, day time
-Value
-Amount of play
-Radio
-Evening
-Format
-East Room
-Press Room
-East Room as setting
-Preparation
-Amount of time
-Worthiness
-Use of President’s energy
-Value of press conferences
-Types of questions
-Participatory
Rural Environmental Assistance Program [REAP]
-Paper
-Distribution
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:36 pm.
Henry A. Kissinger
-Presence at meeting
-Secretary
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:29 pm.
REAP
-Bud Linewall [?]
-Office of Kenneth W. Clawson
-52-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
-Column
-Congressional Record
-United Press International [UPI]
-Expansion of story
-Unnamed woman
-Number of acres [?]
-Wealth
-Washington Post
Press coverage
-Handling
-Honest reporting
-Pressure
-Fairness
-Spiro T. Agnew’s speech
-Administration’s effectiveness
-Overtness
-Repressiveness
-Control by administration
-Skillfulness
-Hardness
-William S. Paley
-Credit
-Respect
-President’s response to a question
-Tone
-Power of Presidency
-Clarity
-Quality
-Networks
-Use of prime time
-Concerns
-Control by administration
Press conference
-Vesco case
-Handling
-John D. Ehrlichman
-53-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
-Stans
-Contributions
-President’s comments
Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:36 pm.
Kissinger
-Location
-Presence at meeting
-Timing
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:29 pm.
Henry A. Kissinger entered at 5:29 pm.
Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
Ziegler left at 5:30 pm.
Pakistan
-Announcement
-US aid
Watergate
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr’s statement
-Constitutional requirements
-Separation of powers
-President’s aides
-Questioning
-Segretti case [?]
-President’s press conference
-Dean’s investigation
-Responses to questions
-Clear position
-Standards
-Cooperation
-54-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
-FBI investigation
-Interrogations
-Unnamed woman’s [Judy Hoback ?] request
-Private interview
-Presence of lawyers
-Handling of press questions
-Posture
-Seniority
-FBI interview of secretary
-Question for Committee to Re-elect the President [CRP]
-Follow up about accountability
-Danger
-Distortion, hearsay information
-Final statement
-Ervin Committee
-Segretti
-Administration’s disapproval
-Chapin
-Letters [?]
North Vietnam
-Forces in Cambodia
-Withdrawal
-US aid request
-President's press conference
-Explicit statement aid
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Agreement on ending war and restoring peace in Vietnam
-Article 20
-Cambodia and Laos
-Cease-fire compliance
-Compared withdrawal
Sudan
-Message
-Terrorism
-President’s statement
-55-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
USSR
-Shultz's meeting with Brezhnev
-Soviet Jews
-Press coverage
-Mission
-Authorization
-President's response at press conference
-Hard line
-Most-favored-nation [MFN] status
-Foreign policy
-Shultz’s discussion with Brezhnev
-USSR’s initiative
US-USSR trade relations
-Soviet Jews
-Press coverage
-Congress
-Kissinger's meeting with Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Decency
-Potential as Defense Secretary
Vietnam
-Cease-fire
-North Vietnam strategy
-Tests
-US withdrawal
-Communications
Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 5:30 pm.
President’s schedule
-Telephone call [?]
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:40 pm.
Vietnam
-Cease-fire
-North Vietnam strategy
-56-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept-2010)
Conversation No. 419-34 (cont’d)
-Economic aid
-US negotiations with PRC, USSR
Kissinger's conversation with Dobrynin
-US-USSR relations
-Soviet military aid to North Vietnam
-Answers to US challenges
-Civilian goods
-Tanks
United Nations [UN]
-Kurt Waldheim
-Offices for Vietcong [VC] or Vietminh
-Recall of John A. Scali from post
President’s statement
-Aid [?]
Kissinger left at 5:40 pm.