Conversation No. 467-23

Date: March 17, 1971
Time: 2:43 pm - 3:17 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger

     Vietnam
          -Air strikes
                -Weather
                -Timing
                      -Kissinger’s view
                           -Possible effect on Soviet Union reply to US proposal
                                 -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
                -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                      -Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting

[The President talked with Clifford P. Hansen between 2:45 pm and 2:46 pm]

[Conversation No. 467-23A]

     Hansen’s support on a bill
         -Charles W. Colson
         -President’s appreciation

[End of telephone conversation]

Rose Mary Woods entered at 2:46 pm

     A book from Library of Congress
          -[Forename unknown] Fuller
          -Publication date
          -Content

     A television report
           -Ronald L. Ziegler

Woods left at 2:47 pm
                                        17

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



Laotian operation (Lam Son)
     -Associated Press [AP] story
           -Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
                 -Inaccuracy
           -An AP reporter
                 -Previous story on Cambodia
           -Military situation
                 -Moorer’s view                                  Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
                 -Possible withdrawal of Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] forces
     -Military situation
           -ARVN troops
                 -Withdrawal
                       -Reason
                 -Tchepone
                 -Effectiveness
                       -Interdiction of supplies
           -President’s call to Moorer
           -Possible Presidential statement
           -Moorer
     -Ho Chi Minh Trail
           -North Vietnamese supplies
                 -Effect of Lam Son
           -President’s use of figures
                 -Accuracy
           -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
                 -Richard M. Helms
                 -Relations with Pentagon
                 -Figures on supplies
                       -Compared with Cambodia
                 -Helms
                       -Directorship
                 -Kissinger’s meeting, March 16, 1971
           -Figures on North Vietnamese supplies
                 -Decreases
                       -Kissinger’s view
                       -South Vietnam
                       -Cambodia
           -Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting
     -President’s view
     -Moorer
     -President’s April 7, 1971 speech
           -Future
                                        18

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



           -Kissinger’s efforts
     -Intelligence estimates
           -Discrepancies
           -Kissinger’s March 16, 1971 meeting
     -Kissinger’s previous talk with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
           -Haig’s trip
                 -Ellsworth F. Bunker
                 -Military personnel                            Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
           -Military situation
                 -Haig’s assessment
                 -ARVN forces
                 -North Vietnamese supplies
     -President’s April 7, 1971 speech

President’s March 16, 1971 party
     -Harvard Law School students
           -Kissinger’s acquaintance
           -Edward R. F. Cox’s acquaintance
           -Vietnam views
           -Stafford Hutchinson
                 -Background
           -Geoffrey M. Connor
                 -Relation to former Congressman

Vietnam
     -President’s forthcoming April 7, 1971 speech
           -Kissinger’s view
           -Reference to “peace with honor”
                -Howard K. Smith interview
     -President’s November 3, 1969 speech
           -Theme compared with other statements
                -Cambodia
     -President’s policy
           -Effect
           -Public opinion
                -Changes
                -President’s interview with Cyrus L. (“Cy”) Sulzberger
                      -”The Establishment”
                -Kissinger’s view
                -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s view
           -Laos
           -Future announcements
                                               19

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



                     -Time and content
                     -Draftees
         -President’s previous call to Moorer
         -Current press coverage
               -Laos, Tchepone
                     -Accuracy
         -Military situation in Laos
               -President’s position                           Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
               -AP story
               -Results
                     -Compared with Cambodian operation
         -Future of Asia
               -Importance of US efforts
         -Possible future of negotiations
               -Indian ambassador
                     -William P. Rogers


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 17s ]


    INDIA


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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    Indira Gandhi
          -President’s reference in “Today” show interview
                -Copy for Indian ambassador
                     -State Department

    John G. Gorton
         -Possible letter from the President
         -Position
         -Political situation
                                        20

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



     -Relations with US
     -Replacement [William McMahon]
     -Previous Head of State dinner on May 6, 1969
          -Gorton’s toast

President’s dinner for John M. (“Jack”) Lynch, March 16, 1971
     -Effect
     -Publicity                                                   Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
           -Press stories

Kissinger’s schedule
     -Forthcoming meeting with Dobrynin

Vietnam
     -Air strikes
           -Military situation
           -US Air Force
                 -Delays
                 -President’s view
           -Moorer
           -Circumstances
           -Weather
                 -Kissinger’s previous conversation with Moorer
                 -Worldwide

Laotian operation (Lam Son)
     -An AP story
           -President’s response
     -Military situation
           -Moorer
           -Haig
                 -General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
           -Tchepone
                 -ARVN
                 -Haig
                 -An AP story
                       -Source
     -US losses
           -Decreases
     -President’s credibility
           -Press
           -Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson
                                             21

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)




    John B. Connally
         -Kissinger’s previous attendance at a dinner
              -Rowland Evans
              -Henry Catto’s toast
              -Connally’s toast
                    -The President
                    -Effect on Evans                              Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
         -Ability
              -Presidency
              -President’s view
              -Public opinion
                    -Television
                    -Compared with Johnson
              -Texans
              -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
              -Cabinet members
                    -Elliot L. Richardson

    Agnew
        -Appearance at Gridiron Club dinner
            -Robert J. Dole


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 38s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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    Thomas E. Dewey’s funeral
        -President’s attendance
        -Kissinger’s possible attendance
        -Kissinger’s previous telephone conversation
              -President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board [PFIAB]
        -Dewey
                                                 22

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



               -Opinion of President
          -Kissinger and Rogers’s possible attendance
     Vietnam
          -Figures
               -Need for accuracy
               -Haig’s reports
                     -Military situation
                           -Cambodia                             Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
          -Vietnamization
               -Melvin R. Laird
               -President’s policy
               -Effect of Cambodian and Laotian operations
                     -North Vietnam
               -Laird
               -Effect of Cambodian and Laotian operations

     Laotian operation (Lam Son)
          -Duration
          -Military situation
                -Laird
                -President’s role
                      -Possible statement
                -Purpose of current actions
                      -Effect on supply routes
                -Effect of current actions

Kissinger left at 3:17 pm