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Conversation: 449-012

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Start Date: 21-Sep-1971 12:35 PM

End Date: 21-Sep-1971 1:40 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Butterfield, Alexander P.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")[Unknown person(s)]Kissinger, Henry A.Bull, Stephen B.Sanchez, Manolo

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:28:27

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:35:59

NARA Description:

On September 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:35 pm to 1:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 449-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 449-12

Date: September 21, 1971
Time: 12:35 pm - 1:40 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 12:36 pm.

     The President's schedule
          -September 21, 1971
          -Exhibition of race cars
               -White House south grounds
                      -Race cars
                           -Number
                           -Types
                           -Race drivers
               -Photo opportunity

Butterfield left at 12:37 pm.

     The President's schedule
          -Race car exhibition
               -Location
                      -Press
               -Photograph

     Pentagon Papers
          -Haldeman's meeting with Henry A. Kissinger, John D. Ehrlichman, and Charles W.
                Colson
          -Meeting between Ehrlichman and Kissinger
                -Colson's absence
                -Kissinger
                     -Understanding of situation
          -Ehrlichman's call to Melvin R. Laird
          -Haldeman's call to Ehrlichman
                -John N. Mitchell
          -Kissinger's objections
                                               21

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/06)



                -Ehrlichman’s view
          -Release of Pentagon version
                -Public interest
                      -Personal
          -Ehrlichman

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 12:36 pm.

     [Delivery of voting results note]

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:46 pm.

     Draft bill
           -Senate vote
                -Cloture
                      -Vote count
                      -Timing
           -Administration’s position
                -Public relations
           -Note
                -Final passing of bill
                      -Cloture
                            -Procedure
                            -Votes on bill
                            -Michael J. Mansfield

     Foreign policy
          -Effect of release
                -Pentagon version of Pentagon Papers
                -Vietnam
                      -Political aspects
          -Kissinger's statements on Pentagon Papers
                -Vietnam
                -Moscow scenario
          -Release of Pentagon version
                -Effect within Vietnam
          -Ehrlichman's previous conversation with Haldeman
                -Kissinger
                      -Release of Pentagon version

     Council on International Economic Policy [CIEP]
                                   22

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 10/06)



-Haldeman's previous conversation
      -Meeting
            -John B. Connally's presence
                 -George P. Shultz
                 -Kissinger's forthcoming talk with Connally
-Connally's view on CIEP organization
      -White House office
      -Conversation with Ehrlichman and Kissinger
            -Responsibility for CIEP
                 -Kissinger
                       -Staffing problems
                       -Knowledge
                       -White House
      -Peter G. Peterson
-Shultz’s view
      -Peterson
-Peterson
-Shultz
      -Responsibility for CIEP
      -Staff
            -Camp David meeting
      -Work on CIEP
-Kissinger
-Peterson
      -CIEP work
      -National economic policy
-Shultz
-CIEP members
      -Kissinger
      -Shultz
      -Connally
      -Paul W. McCracken
      -Swing votes
      -Study on issues
            -Subcommittees
                 -Shultz as chairman
                       -Staff for research
                             -Peterson
      -Connally's view
            -Shultz
      -Kissinger's view
                                              23

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)



                       -Shultz
                            -Loyalty
                            -"Honest broker position"

     Textile negotiations between Japan and the US
          -Leak
                -Brussels, Belgium
                      -Peterson
                -Date of US decision
                      -Trading with the Enemy Act
                -Release
          -Peterson
          -Paul A. Volcker
                -Location

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 12:46 pm.

     Vietnam
          -Air raids
                -POL [Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants]
                -Effectiveness
                     -Storage for the Ho Chi Minh Trail
          -Weather
          -Supplies
                -Dong Hoi
                     -US position
                           -Reiteration
                -Airplanes
                     -Air Force

     Military leadership
           -Air Force
           -Army
                 -Gen. C. William Westmoreland
           -Air Force
                 -Gen. John D. Ryan
           -Marine Corps
                 -Lt. Gen. Robert E. Cushman, Jr.
                       -Position at Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]

     Military service draft bill
                                       24

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)



     -Cloture vote

Kissinger's schedule
     -Dates
           -Visit

Peterson
     -CIEP
     -Japan
          -Textile negotiations
                -Leak
                -Possible actions
                     -Responsibility
     -Previous conversation
          -Lack of leadership

Japan textile negotiations
     -Leak
     -Trading with the Enemy Act
            -Policy issue
            -Japanese reaction
     -Nobusuke Kishi
            -Visit to the US
                  -Date
                        -Negotiations
                        -Request from Japan
            -Information of US actions
                  -Kissinger's possible actions
     -US Ambassador to Japan, Armin H. Meyer
            -Compared with D[avid] Kenneth Rush
                  -Middle East
                        -Vietnam
                  -Rush
     -Textile negotiations
            -Peterson's report
            -Kissinger's strategy
                  -Peterson
                  -David M. Kennedy
                        -Negotiations
            -Strategy
                  -Peterson
                                         25

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)



                  -Talk with Kishi
                        -Discussion period
            -Date of announcement
                  -Simultaneous announcements
                        -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] summit
                        -Trip to the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                        -Japanese
       -Kishi
       -Meeting between the President and Takeo Fukuda
            -Anchorage, Alaska meeting [With Emperor Hirohito]
            -Informing Fukuda of US position on negotiation by William P. Rogers
       -Previous conversation between the President and Fukuda
            -Japan response
                  -Time requirement
            -US position
                  -Dateline
       -Rogers
            -Meeting with Fukuda
                  -Strategy
       -Possible meeting between Kissinger, Peterson, Rogers, Kennedy
            -Preparation of plan for negotiations

CIEP
       -Kissinger's scheme on staffing
             -Shultz
                   -Peterson
       -Previous meeting
       -Responsibility for CIEP
             -Shultz
                   -Inclinations
                         -Free trade
                         -Taxes
             -Peterson
                   -Chairman of subcommittee
                               -Shultz
                                     -Staff
       -Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with Connally
       -Peterson
       -Removal
             -Acceptable recommendations
       -Shultz
                                        26

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)



     -Leak
          -Brussels
                -Sources
                      -Volcker
                      -Peterson
          -Effects on textile negotiations
                -Textile people [producers]
          -Details
     -Need for committee
          -Members
                -Kissinger
                      -Need for political understanding
                            -Issues
                -State Department negotiators
                      -Political compared to economic aspects
                -Connally
                      -Economic points
                -Shultz
                      -Economic point
                      -Domestic political
                -Peterson

Other negotiations
     -Relations with foreign countries
           -Canada
           -Surcharge tax
                 -Strategy
                       -Rules
                             -US actions
                                   -General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade [GATT]
                                   -Staff work
                                         -Camp David
     -Staff work necessary
           -The President's options, role
                 -Implementing
           -Peterson
                 -Briefings
     -Peterson
           -Staffing limitations
                 -Shultz's offer of Office of Management and Budget [OMB] staff
                                       27

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)



USSR summit
    -Kissinger's conversation with unknown man
    -Andrei A. Gromyko
         -Forthcoming conversation with the President
               -Rogers
               -Cabinet
    -Summit invitation
         -Informing Rogers
         -Announcement
               -Kissinger's role
                     -Rogers's Reaction
               -Date
               -Secrecy
                     -Compared with PRC announcement
                           -USSR
               -Effect of Announcement
                     -Public Speculation
                           -USSR
                           -PRC
    -Alexei N. Kosygin
    -Gromyko
    -Kosygin
         -Visit to United Nations [UN]
         -Itinerary
               -Canada
               -UN
               -Meeting with the President
    -Speculation on the President's forthcoming trip to Alaska
         -PRC trip
         -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
         -[Emperor of Japan] Hirohito
    -Value of surprise
         -USSR position
         -The President's attendance at signing of Accidental War Agreement
               -Gromyko
               -Soviets
    -Announcement of Summit
         -Date

Textile negotiations
     -Kissinger's role
                                          28

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/06)



             -Japanese negotiations
       -Peterson
       -Connally
       -Waiting Period
             -Length
       -Kissinger's Meeting with Kishi
             -Rogers's meeting with Fukuda
                   -Date
                         -Agreement
                         -Negotiations
                              -Dates
                                    -Kissinger's schedule
                                         -Return from the PRC
       -John N. Mitchell, Harry S. Dent
             -Relations with textile people [producers]
                   -Textile groups
                         -Kennedy, Peterson
                              -Commitment
                                    -Time
       -Quota bill

CIEP
       -Shultz
            -Responsibility
            -Kissinger's working with Shultz
       -Connally
            -Economic
            -Political
       -Shultz
            -Initiative
            -Staff
                   -Proposals
                        -Effect on opponents
                              -Economic platform
                              -International Monetary Fund [IMF]
                                    -Meeting in Washington, DC
       -Connally
            -IMF
            -European trip
                   -Reaction
       -Shultz
                                           29

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/06)



             -Peterson
                   -Reaction
             -Camp David
             -Connally
             -Kissinger
             -McCracken
                   -Committee
                   -Program

The President's schedule
     -Connally
          -Meeting
          -Time

Plans for working group
     -President’s schedule
           -Racing group
           -Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with Connally
           -The President's previous conversations with Kissinger
                 -Shultz
                       -Working group for CIEP
                             -Members
                       -Haldeman's attendance at meetings
                             -Meetings
                       -Peterson
           -Peterson's memo to the President
                 -Kissinger's signature
                 -Organization of new group

Polls
        -USSR and PRC
        -Colson
        -George H. Gallup
        -Louis P. Harris
             -The President's popularity
                   -Comparison with Democrat candidates
                   -Effect on foreign relations
                   -Trial heats

Military service draft extension legislation
      -Senators
                                                30

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)



                 -Debate
                 -Final vote

     USSR
         -Soviet public opinion on the President
              -Dobrynin
                    -View of the President
                          -Change
         -Willy Brandt

Kissinger left at 1:08 pm.

     Peterson

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 1:08 pm.

     Letter from John C. Stennis
           -Liaison from White House
                 -Delivery from the President
                 -Tom C. Korologos

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 1:40 pm.

     US Supreme Court
         -Recommendation from Stennis
              -James P. Coleman
                   -Mississippi
         -Mitchell
         -Votes
         -Stennis
         -Mitchell

Haldeman left at an unknown time after 1:08 pm.


**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 19s ]
                                               31

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)




END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

**********************************************************************


Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:08 pm.

     Placement of object

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:40 pm.


**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 47s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11

**********************************************************************

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 1:08 pm.

     Margaret Chase Smith

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 1:40 pm.


**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 15s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12

**********************************************************************
                                             32

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)




Haldeman entered at an unknown time before 1:40 pm.

     Haldeman's previous meeting with Mitchell and Bryce N. Harlow
          -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
          -Agriculture Secretary

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 1:08 pm.

     The President's schedule

     Refreshment

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:40 pm.


**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 7m 10s ]


MANOLO SANCHEZ ENTERED AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AFTER 1:08 PM.

SANCHEZ LEFT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME BEFORE 1:40 PM.


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

**********************************************************************


     The President’s schedule
          -The President's Question and Answer [Q&A] at Detroit Economic Club, September
               23, 1971
          -Possible meeting with Agnew

     J. Edgar Hoover
          -Tenure in office
                                       33

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)



          -Robert C. Mardian
          -Richard G. Kleindienst
          -Conversation with the President
          -Mitchell
          -Ehrlichman
     -Leaks
          -White House
          -Department of Justice
          -Network
     -Mardian
     -White House

Agnew
    -National Security Council [NSC] meetings
    -Behavior
          -Raising negatives
    -Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
          -Cabinet meetings
                -Nixon as Vice President
                        Cheerleader
    -Demonstrations
    -Cabinet meetings
          -Connally
          -Rogers
          -Testimonial
                -White House staff
                -Campaign
                      -Build-up
                             -Organization
                             -Leadership
                      -Response
    -Haldeman's call to Agnew
          -Mitchell's call to Agnew
                -Political responsibility
    -Testimonial event
          -White House staff
          -Kissinger
          -Dent
          -Robert J. Dole
                -Cabinet
                -National chairman [of Republican National Committee]
                                       34

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)



               -Connally
                   -Democrat
     -Connally
           -Support for administration
                -Cabinet
                      -Mitchell
     -The President's possible dinner meeting with Agnew
     -Situation
           -Action
     -The President's Q&A at Detroit Economic Club
           -Connally

Candidates for Secretary of Agriculture
    -Louie B. Nunn
          -Harlow’s view
                -Congressional approval
                      -Federal system
                      -Democrats
                            -Support of farmers
                            -Farm issues
    -Henry L. Bellmon
          -Harlow’s view
                -Farmer credibility
                -Experience with federal system and Congress
          -Mitchell’s view
          -Harlow
    -Bellmon
          -Albert H. Quie
                -Farmers
    -Administration strategy
          -Farm program
          -Secretary of Agriculture
                -Receptivity to farmers' concerns
                      -Bellmon
                            -Compared with Nunn
                      -Nunn
                            -Relations with farmers
    -Bellmon
          -Congressional seat
                -Election outcome
                      -Ed Edmondson
                                  35

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 10/06)



                      -Democrat candidate
                -Dewey F. Bartlett
                -Mitchell
                      -Control
                      -Special elections
     -Support for administration
     -Re-election of the President
           -Support for the administration
-Harlow and Mitchell
     -Outcome of meeting
-Harlow’s view
     -Nunn
     -Bellmon
     -Other candidates
           -Publicity
-Harlow
     -Possible appointment as Secretary
           -Congressional relations
           -Haldeman's conversation with Mitchell
-Clark MacGregor
     -Background
           -Minnesota
           -Agriculture
           -Analogy to Richard H. Poff
     -Present position
     -Speechmaking
-Nunn
-Bellmon
-Harlow
-Haldeman's conversation with Mitchell
-Harlow
     -Changes in administration
-Nunn
-[Dole?]
     -National chairman
     -Senator
-Other candidates
     -Leslie C. Arends
           -Career
           -Age
           -Congressional relations
                                         36

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)



                -Background
                -Department of Agriculture
                      -Undersecretary
                            -J. Philip Campbell
     -MacGregor
          -Congress
     -Possible election outcome
          -Republican Congress
                -Gerald R. Ford
                      -Speaker of the House
                -Arends
                      -Majority Leader

Supreme Court appointment
     -Harlow's conversation with Emanuel Celler
           -House of Representatives Judiciary Committee resolution
                 -Poff
                       -Possible endorsement
                       -Nomination
     -Ford
     -The President's morning meeting with Carl B. Albert
     -Support for Poff
           -House
           -Circulate letter to House members
                 -Endorsement of Poff
           -Cellar
                 -Democrats
                       -Ford's possible conversation with Cellar
                       -Harlow's possible conversation with Cellar
                              -Endorsement of American Bar Association [ABA]
                              -Reflection on Judiciary Committee
                 -Letter circulation
                       -Congress
                              -Republicans
                                   -Civil rights
                                   -Judiciary Committee
                                   -Southern Democrats
     -Background
           -Clement F. Haynsworth, Jr.
           -G. Harrold Carswell
     -Poff
                                            37

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)




***********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Privacy]
[Duration: 5s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

**********************************************************************


                    -Southern Manifesto
          -Ku Klux Klan


***********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Privacy]
[Duration: 37s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9

**********************************************************************


     The President's schedule
          -Breakfast meeting
          -Call from Connally

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 1:40 pm.
                                              38

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)