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Conversation: 421-018

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Start Date: 21-Mar-1973 4:53 PM

End Date: 21-Mar-1973 6:01 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ziegler, Ronald L.White House operatorRogers, William P.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Dean, John W., IIIEhrlichman, John D.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

421-018a.mp3

421-018b.mp3

NARA Description:

On March 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, White House operator, William P. Rogers, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John W. Dean, III, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:53 pm to 6:01 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 421-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 421-18

Date: March 21, 1973
Time: 4:53 pm-6:01 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       News report
            -Detroit

       Press briefing
             -Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
             -Gerald L. Warren
             -Food prices
             -Positive tone

       Watergate
                                              -12-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Mar.-09)
                                                            Conversation No. 421-18 (cont’d)


            -President’s statement
                  -A letter
                        -Questions from press
            -Strategy
                  -Statement on Dwight L. Chapin
                  -Disclosures for the record
                        -Washington Post story
                        -Public reaction
            -Grand jury
                  -Convocation
                  -Findings
                        -Investigations of H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman,
Charles W. Colson, Donald H. Segretti
            -Statement by President
                  -Attack on Ervin Committee
                        -William J. Baroody, Jr.
                        -Infringement on constitutional principles
                               -Publicity
            -“5 percenter cases”

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 4:53 pm and
4:58 pm.

[Conversation No. 421-18A]

[See Conversation No. 37-194]

[End of telephone conversation]

       Watergate
            -Harry S. Truman administration

The President talked with William P. Rogers between 4:58 pm and 5:00 pm.

[Conversation No. 421-18B]

[See Conversation No. 37-195]

[End of telephone conversation]
                                             -13-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Mar.-09)
                                                         Conversation No. 421-18 (cont’d)



      Watergate
           -Gen. Harry H. Vaughn’s testimony during Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
           -Chapin
           -President’s statement
                 -John W. Dean, III’s call to Segretti
                 -Segretti’s activities
                 -Disclosure of information
                 -Haldeman
                       -Knowledge of Chapin and Segretti
                 -Segretti’s activities
                 -White House staff testimony
                       -Letters
                 -Segretti case
                       -Case of bad judgment
           -Attacks on administration
           -Grand jury
                 -White House staff testimony
                       -Dean
                 -Investigation
                       -Advantage to administration over Senate hearing
           -Ervin hearings
           -Letter
           -President’s statement
                 -Timing

Haldeman and Dean entered at 5:20 pm.

      Trip to California
            -Press relations
            -Assistance
            -John Ford dinner

      Watergate
           -Publicity for administration's side

      Press relations
            -White House correspondents
            -Television [TV]
                                              -14-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Mar.-09)
                                                               Conversation No. 421-18 (cont’d)


             -[Unintelligible]
             -Banquet
                  -Format
                  -Timing
                  -Questions for President
                         -Watergate

       Theodore H. White

Ehrlichman entered and Ziegler left at 5:25 pm.

[A transcript of the remainder of the conversation may be found in 8RPC, pp. 131-145; U.S. vs.
Mitchell, Ex. 13, pp. 00208-00236 (1-27); SRPC, pp. 250-269 (1-20); RG 460, Box 171, pp 1-38;
SI Pres. Nixon, pp. 56, 185; SI, Bk. III, pt. 2, pp. 1149-1180 (1-38); Bk. VII, pt. 4, pp. 1831-2
(20-21)].

An unknown man entered and left at an unknown time during the transcribed portion.

[End of transcribed portion]

Haldeman, Dean, and Ehrlichman left at 6:01 pm.