Conversation: 423-011
Prev: 423-010 Next: 423-012Start Date: 27-Mar-1973 3:27 PM
End Date: 27-Mar-1973 4:16 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Rogers, William P.;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On March 27, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:27 pm and 4:16 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 423-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 423-11
Date: March 27, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:27 pm and 4:16 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with William P. Rogers.
Weather
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 423-11 (cont’d)
Work preferences
-Writing
-Seating
-Speech writing
-Preliminary drafts
President's public statement
-Food prices
National defense
-Rogers's speech draft
-Press conference
-Post-Vietnam era
-Resistance
-Sabotage
-Dealings with Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Rogers’s speech
-Reduction of forces
-President’s accomplishments
-Reduction of arms
-Danger of war
Watergate
-Handling
-Pressures
-Ramifications
-Charges of cover-up
-White House staff
- Haldeman, Ehrlichman, John W. Dean, III
-Need to clear up charges
-Possible damage
-Resolution of problem
-Campaign intelligence
-Legitimate activities
-Illegal activities
-Adverse publicity
-Donald H. Segretti case
-Haldeman, Dwight L. Chapin
-Public perceptions
-13-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 423-11 (cont’d)
-Protection of President
-Liability
-Obstruction of justice
-Criminal acts
-Scope
-Cover-up
-Resolution
-Independent commission
-Courts
-Deficiencies
-Delays
-Uniqueness
-Structure and establishment
-Rogers’s role
-Ehrlichman
-Dean
-Haldeman
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-J. Edgar Hoover [?]
-Strategy
-John J. Sirica
-Full disclosure of evidence and testimony
-Special Grand Jury
-Special prosecutor
-Waiver of executive prosecutor
-Dean
-Testimony
-Guidelines
-Investigation
-Release
-Scope
-Confidentiality
-Knowledge of Watergate
-Ervin Committee
-Attacks on character
-Availability of raw files from Justice Department
-Congressional committees
-Alger Hiss case
-"5-percenter" case
-Gen. [first name unknown] Myers
-14-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 423-11 (cont’d)
-John [last name unknown]
-Hiss case
-Obstacles
-Editorials
-Statute of limitations
-Perjury charges
-Justice Department’s reluctance to prosecute
-Criminal complaints
-Court hearings
-Congressional committees
-Ervin Committee
-Motives of Ervin
-Cooperation of White House
-Delays in hearings
-Grand jury
-Informal hearings
-Negotiations
-Public perceptions
-Presidential cover-up
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Attorney General
-Respect of Grand Jury
-Ervin Committee
-Secret testimony
-White House staff
-John N. Mitchell
-President's talks with Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Charles W. Colson during
election
-Mention of Watergate
-Surprise at break-in
-Haldeman
-Ehrlichman
-Break-in
-Reasons
-Mitchell
-G. Gordon Liddy
-Intelligence
-Discussion
-Dean's opposition
-Implementation
-15-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 423-11 (cont’d)
-Instigator
-Jeb Stuart Magruder
-Pressure from White House
- Mitchell
-Democratic National Committee [DNC]
-Mitchell
-Role in break-in
-Perjury
-Aftermath
-Clemency promises
-Colson
-Financial help for burglars
-Cover-up
-Avoidance
-Grand jury
-Sirica
-Special panel
-Executive session
-Strategy
-Full disclosure
-James W. McCord Jr.'s statement
-Charges
-Delay
-McCord
-Charges
-Executive privilege use
-Criminal charges
-Kleindienst
-Knowledge of Watergate
-Sirica
-Harshness of sentences
- Liddy
-Purpose
-Party affiliation
-Contact with Rogers
-Ehrlichman
-Vietnam
-Charges
-McCord's statement
-Special prosecutor
-16-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 423-11 (cont’d)
-Kleindienst's view
-Kleindienst's cooperation
-Cooperation of White House
Public relations
-Ehrlichman's advice
-Wounded Knee
-Use of troops
-President on television [TV]
-Vietnam settlement
-Distractions
-Underestimation of President
-Vietnam in November 1969
-1970 Cambodia
-India-Pakistan War of 1971
-May 8, 1972 decision in Vietnam
Economy
-Food prices
-George P. Shultz
-Inflation rates
-Great Britain
-France
-Germany
-Japan
-Vietnam settlement
-President’s conversation with Pierre E. Trudeau
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
[Duration: 57s ]
CANADA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
-17-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 423-11 (cont’d)
*****************************************************************
Vietnam War
-Press coverage
-President’s troubles
-President’s unreasonableness
Public relations [PR]
-Economy
-Foreign policy
-Budget
-President's vetoes
-Support in Congress
-Ehrlichman
-President's public appearances
-Use of TV
Watergate
-Obsession of Washington, DC
-Attitude of rest of nation
-Administration’s stance
-Full disclosure
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Grand jury
-Judge
-Administration's stance
-Full disclosure
-Sirica
-Kleindienst
-FBI
-White House staff
-Use of special prosecutor
-Sirica
-Harshness of sentences
-Grand jury
-Ervin Committee hearings
-Sherman Adams
-Dean
-Criminal charges
-18-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 423-11 (cont’d)
-Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson
Robert D. (“Bobby”) Baker
-Sherman Adams
-Impact on Dwight D. Eisenhower's health
-President’s role in resignation
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Adams’ behavior
-Eisenhower’s reaction
-Role in White House
-Ehrlichman
-Haldeman
-Henry A. Kissinger [?]
-Dwight L. Chapin
-Dean
-Special panel
-President's opposition
-Ehrlichman's support
-Republicans
Rogers left at 4:16 pm.