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Conversation: 438-022

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Start Date: 17-May-1973 4:08 PM

End Date: 17-May-1973 4:34 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Woods, Rose Mary

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

438-022.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:08 pm to 4:34 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 438-022 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 438-22

Date: May 17, 1973
Time: 4:08 pm - 4:34 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       Henry A. Kissinger’s report

Rose Mary Woods talked with the President between 4:08 pm and 4:09 pm.

[Conversation No. 438-22A]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 46-103]

[End telephone conversation]

       Watergate       

             -Stewart Jo Alsop’s column

                    -Reaction to Joseph C. Kraft’s article 

             -President’s previous conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler 

                                     -16-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. October-2011)

                                                      Conversation No. 438-22 (cont’d)

               -White Paper            

               -Patrick J. Buchanan          

               -War and peace issue           

               -Daniel Ellsberg          

       -Jacob K. Javits’s call to Kissinger
               -Congressional support for President’s wiretaps 

       -Javits’s possible call to Haig 

       -President’s role in wiretaps 

               -Kissinger and Haig
               -Leaks
                       -Effect on United States foreign policy
                                -Vietnam War, People’s Republic of China [PRC], and
                                 Soviet Union 

       -Critics of wiretaps         

       -John W. Dean, III 

               -Documents            

                       -J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.       

                       -Timing of release        

       -Richard M. Helms
               -Forthcoming meeting with Haig, May 17
               -Meeting with the President regarding Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
                involvement 

               -Ellsberg          

               -Leak investigation         


William J. Casey
       -Pressure on Haig
       -Statement
              -Trip with State Department          

       -Haig’s possible telephone call 

              -Loyalty of White House          

                      -William P. Rogers         

       -William E. Simon’s telephone call to Haig 

              -Treasury Department         

                      -Return of Casey        

       -Haig’s forthcoming conversation with [David] Kenneth Rush 

       -White House defense         

                                         -17-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. October-2011)

                                                           Conversation No. 438-22 (cont’d)

                -Worthiness

President’s forthcoming speech
       -John K. Andrews, Jr.
       -Cambodia
       -Congress
       -President’s visit to Meridien, Mississippi
               -John C. Stennis                

               -Speech            

       -Progress in foreign relations 

               -Soviet Union               

               -PRC          

               -Vietnam settlement                     

       -Military strength of US 

               -Increased progress                   

               -Negotiations              

               -Second place in World position 

       -Speechwriters            

               -Use of military strength to relate world position 

                       -Public reaction                    

       -US-Soviet negotiations                 

               -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]

                       -Limits               

               -Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions 

                       -Unilateral disarmament               

       -Vietnam settlement              

               -Peace agreement                   

                       -Enforcement                      

                                 -Compliance by North Vietnam
                                             -Missing in Action [MIAs] accountability
                                             -Withdrawal from Cambodia
       -Unilateral disarmament                  

               -Peace          

               -Risk of war            

               -US world position                   

       -David R. Gergen              

       -Issues to avoid            

                                      -18-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. October-2011)

                                                     Conversation No. 438-22 (cont’d)

              -Cambodia           

              -Congress       


Vietnam settlement
      -Kissinger’s cable        

              -Optimism

              -Negotiations       

                     -Expectations
                            -Soviet Union [?]
                     -William P. Rogers [?]
                     -Equity
      -South Vietnam

              -Strength       


Watergate
      -Buzhardt
      -Compared to Nixon Fund scandal
      -Left-wing tactic
      -Haig’s letter to unknown New York doctor
             -Justice Department           

                      -Cooperation          

                      -[Unknown name]            

                              -Firing        

                              -Reporting         

             -Possible leak          

                      -Jack N. Anderson           

      -Ellsberg case        

             -Haig’s forthcoming conversation with an unidentified man 

             -Buchanan           

             -Possible leak to Anderson             

                      -Pentagon
                              -Buzhardt        

                      -Buchanan          

                      -Buzhardt        

                      -Donald McI. Kendall            


Clarence M. Kelly [?]
                                     -19-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. October-2011)

                                                      Conversation No. 438-22 (cont’d)

      -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] directorship 

      -Association with Ethel Kennedy 

      -Role at Chappaquiddick          

      -Relationship to Kennedys           

              -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy           

              -Robert F. (“Bobby”) Kennedy           

              -Ethel Kennedy         

      -Haig’s forthcoming conversation         

              -National security        

      -Special Prosecutor         

              -Elliot L. Richardson         


Watergate
      -Special Prosecutor
             -Richardson
      -Unknown doctor’s letter to Haig 

             -Buzhardt          

             -Ziegler        

             -Thomas G. Eagleton’s medical history 

                     -Treatment         

                     -Haig’s discussion         

      -White House staff activities 

             -Criticism by President        

             -Dean         

      -Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters’s memoranda of conversation [memcons]
             -Possible leak
             -Affidavit
      -Haig’s forthcoming conversation with Spiro T. Agnew
             -Executive privilege
             -Contacts with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
              regarding grand jury investigations 

                     -Maryland grand jury         

                     -President’s knowledge         

                             -Haldeman, Mitchell
             -Haig’s telephone call to George Beall 

                     -J. Glenn Beall, Jr.       

                     -District Attorney       

                                             -20-


                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                       Tape Subject Log 

                                      (rev. October-2011)

                                                             Conversation No. 438-22 (cont’d)

                             -Influence over grand jury investigation
                                     -Embarrassment for Agnew
                                            -Contribution
                                            -Agnew’s role as Vice President
                                                   -Compared to President as Vice President
                                                    under Dwight D. Eisenhower
                             -Haig’s opinion
                             -President’s plan
              -Dean
                    -Papers
                           -Possible examination by White House staff
                    -Security risk
              -Buzhardt
                    -Reactions to events

The President and Haig left at 4:34 pm.