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Conversation: 476-007

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Start Date: 9-Apr-1971 8:52 AM

End Date: 9-Apr-1971 9:58 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Ziegler, Ronald L.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:07:19

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:19:42

476-007.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:52 am to 9:58 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 476-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 476-7

Date: April 9, 1971
Time: 8:52 am - 9:58 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

     President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
                                    4

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                            Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. 9/08)



    -Haldeman’s schedule
         -Williamsburg
    -Media coverage
    -American Broadcasting Company [ABC], Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
         -Shirley Taylor
         -Mamie G. D. Eisenhower
    -Reaction
         -Congress
               -Carl B. Albert
                     -Withdrawal
                          -Pace
               -Edmund S. Muskie
                     -Support for April 24, 1971 demonstrations
         -Washington Post
               -Hugh Scott
         -Scott
               -Withdrawal from Vietnam issue
               -Impression about President’s plan
         -Secrecy of plan
         -Robert C. Byrd
         -Robert P. Griffin
    -Withdrawal from Vietnam
         -Timing
         -Griffin’s view
         -Timing
         -Accountability
         -Ronald L. Ziegler’s statement
    -Clark MacGregor
         -Support for President

Economy
    -George P. Shultz
    -Retail sales indicators
    -Los Angeles Times
    -Stock market
    -Retail sales
         -Apparel
         -Home furnishings
         -Automobiles
         -Clothing
    -Sears, Roebuck & Company
         -Shultz
                                              5

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



           -Compared with Vietnam
           -Possible role of Administration
                -Credit
           -Administration’s legislative program
                -Administration’s possible response
                      -Congress

     Legislative program                                               Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)
          -Revenue sharing
                -John D. Ehrlichman and Shultz
                -Haldeman’s conversation with Ehrlichman
                -Edward L. Morgan
                      -”Selling” job
                -Ehrlichman
                      -”Production” job
                -Packaging problem

     President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
          -William L. Safire
          -Length of speech
          -Importance of brevity

     Peter G. Peterson
           -Briefing on Council on International Economic Policy, April 8, 1971
           -[Name unintelligible]
                 -Comments
           -Shultz

     Revenue sharing
         -Ehrlichman
         -Response to questions
         -President’s strategy
         -Patrick J. Buchanan
         -Production problem
         -Need for summarization
         -Chicago Sun-Times
               -Unknown journalist
         -Definition

Ziegler entered at 9:00 am

     President’s schedule
                                          6

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)




Preparation for Ziegler’s forthcoming press briefing
     -Vietnam withdrawal
           -Deadline
           -Ziegler’s conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
           -Scott
     -Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr.
           -Ehrlichman                                              Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)
     -Vietnam withdrawal
           -Press understanding
           -Questions and answers
           -Need for simple explanations
     -Press conferences
           -President’s instructions for Kissinger, Ehrlichman, and Shultz
           -Need for staff discipline
           -Ziegler’s situation
     -Possible meeting with senior staff members
           -Methods of answering
           -Robert B. Semple, Jr.
           -Herbert G. Klein
     -Klein’s methodology
           -Repetition of few points
     -Importance of brevity
     -Termination of questions
     -Ehrlichman’s briefing
           -Calley case
           -President’s possible role
                 -Lack of intervening in case
                 -Judicial process
                 -Review
           -Ziegler’s conversation with Scott
     -Vietnam negotiations
           -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
           -Gerald R. Ford
           -Timing
           -Scott
           -President’s conversation with Mansfield
           -Scott
           -Mansfield
           -Melvin R. Laird
           -William P. Rogers
           -Mansfield
                               7

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                      Tape Subject Log
                         (rev. 9/08)



-Ehrlichman
-President’s plan for American withdrawal
-Final date
      -President’s unwillingness to discuss
            -Jeopardizing plan
      -Conditions
            -Prisoners of War [POWs]
            -North Vietnamese military activity   Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)
            -Negotiations
            -Vietnamization
      -US options
-Confidentiality
-Byrd
-Total withdrawal
-News story
      -Scott and Byrd
      -Inconsistency with April 7, 1971 speech
-Fixed date for withdrawal
      -Effect on negotiations
      -POWs
      -Public pressure
-Max Frankel’s column, April 9, 1971
      -Scott and Byrd remarks
-Fixed date for withdrawal
      -Ziegler’s possible answer to queries
      -Dependent on circumstances
-Scott
-Interpretations by senators
-President’s plan for withdrawal
      -Discussion of fixed date
      -Certainty of total withdrawal
      -Fixed date
      -President’s thesis of presentation
      -Effect on negotiations
-Scott
-Fixed date
-President’s plan for total withdrawal
-Timing
-President’s conversation with Scott
-Fixed date
-Need for US flexibility
-Possible dates
                              8

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 9/08)



-Future election
-President’s accountability
-Reduction of US forces
-US goals
      -Total American withdrawal
      -North Vietnamese actions
      -American forces
      -Date question                              Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)
      -Vietnamization
      -Fixed date
      -Negotiations
      -President’s future announcements
-Factors influencing date
      -Negotiations
      -POWs
      -Residual force
-POW issue
-President’s public announcements
      -Address on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
-Fixed date
-President’s conversations with senators
-Need for constant revaluation
-Fixed date constraint
-Future announcements
-Ziegler’s responses
-Scott
-Washington Post
-Dan Rather
      -CBS
      -Possible US moves
-”Doves”
-Frankel
-Joseph W. Alsop
      -Story on White House Staff
      -Kissinger and Haldeman
      -Laos
-President’s Vietnamization policy
-Washington Post editorial
      -Vietnamization
      -General William C. Westmoreland
            -1967 speech
      -President’s policies
                                   9

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. 9/08)



            -Reluctant credit to President
                  -Withdrawal
                  -Casualties
      -Plan for total withdrawal
      -Discussion of fixed date
            -US goals
                  -Negotiations to end war
                  -POWs                             Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)
                  -North Vietnam
      -Possible fixed date
      -President’s plan
      -Factors influencing date
      -President’s plan
      -Ziegler’s possible answers
            -Period of time versus fixed date
      -Laird
-Rowland Evans and Robert D. Novak column
      -Ford
      -Calley case
-Calley case
      -Ziegler’s conversation with Ford
      -President’s decision
      -President’s conversation with Ford
            -Ford’s reaction
-Democratic caucus vote
-Draft extension
-Democratic caucus
-Draft extension
      -Vote
      -Ford
-Calley case
      -Ford
      -Congressional reaction
      -Evans and Novak
      -Ford and Laird
      -Michigan Congressional caucus
            -Ford
      -President’s decision
      -Rogers
      -Laird
      -Ford
                                   10

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. 9/08)



     -Ziegler’s call to Dan Akin [sp?]
           -Pentagon
           -Laird
     -President’s conversation with Ford
     -Ziegler’s possible responses
     -Democratic caucus
-Draft extension
     -Vote                                                  Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)
           -Compared with World War I, World War II
     -Calley case
           -President’s conversation with Ford
     -Donald W. Riegle, Jr.
     -Griffin
     -Byrd
           -Instructions to Ziegler
     -Albert
     -Mansfield
     -Ford
     -Byrd and Griffin
     -Griffin
-Vietnam
     -Scott
     -Fixed date for withdrawal
     -President’s plans
     -Factors influencing date
     -Criteria
     -Vietnamization
     -US withdrawal
     -US objectives
     -Factors influencing date
           -South Vietnam
           -POWs
     -US objectives
     -Haldeman
     -Reaction
           -Democrats
           -President’s critics
     -President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
           -Reaction of press
           -Scott
                              11

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 9/08)



      -Questions to Ziegler
            -Robert Pierpoint
            -Scott
      -Withdrawal
      -Responsibility
      -Reaction
-Muskie
      -Endorsement of moratorium                        Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)
      -Staff
-Tricia Nixon
-Edward R. F. Cox
      -[Harvard Law School] reaction to President’s speech on Southeast Asia,
            April 7, 1971
-Reactions
-Kevin Taylor
      -Salute
      -Karl (“Skipper”) Taylor, Jr.
-S. Taylor
      -Support for President
      -Hopes for children
      -Sincerity
-Withdrawal date
-S. Taylor
-Reaction on television
-President’s meeting with senators
      -Withdrawal date issue
-Withdrawal of forces
-Summary of President’s plans
      -Fixed date
      -Factors influencing date
-Congress
-Chicago group reaction
      -Businessmen
-New York businessmen
-President’s speech on Southeast Asia
      -Reactions
      -Unknown football player
      -Tone
            -Personalizing the war
      -Casualty chart
-Kevin Taylor
      -War in human terms
                                              12

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 9/08)



                      -Public reaction
                      -Appearance
                      -Salute
                      -Television
                 -Taylor family
                      -Scholarships
                 -Colin Kelly
                      -Franklin D. Roosevelt                    Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)
                      -West Point
                      -Father
                             -Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
                      -Roosevelt
                 -Compared with Kevin Taylor
                      -Scholarships
                 -Ziegler’s forthcoming call to Scott
                      -Kelly
                      -Opportunity for Kevin Taylor
                             -Annapolis [US Naval Academy]
                      -Richard S. Schweiker
                 -Ceremony
                      -S. Taylor
                      -Public reaction
                      -Kelly
                      -Colonel [Forename unknown] Hocking [?]
                      -Schweiker

Ziegler left at 9:48 am

           -Robert A. Taft, Jr.
                -Scott
           -John Sherman Cooper
           -Ziegler
           -Klein

     Staffing
           -Peter M. Flanigan
           -Establishment
           -Thomas S. Gates, Jr.
                 -Draft
           -Lists for appointments
           -William J. Casey
           -Instructions for Flanigan
                                             13

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



         -Eastern establishment
         -Chicago group
               -Education
                     -Northwestern University
                     -University of Chicago
         -John J. McCloy and Gates
         -Leonard H. Lavin
               -Fundraising                                     Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)
         -Norman Stein
         -Instructions for Flanigan
         -John A. (“Jack”) Mulcahy
         -Elmer H. Bobst
         -Henry E. Ford, II
         -Gates
         -David Rockefeller
         -William S. Paley
         -Attitude toward the President

    Media
        -Television
        -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
        -Ziegler
        -Tricia Nixon


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

    GREAT BRITAIN

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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    Ziegler’s press briefing
         -Public reaction to President’s April 7, 1971 speech
               -Telephone calls, telegrams
                                         14

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



President’s television appearances
     -Ehrlichman
     -Reaction
     -Written text
     -Order
     -Effort involved
     -Need for re-evaluation of methods
     -Reading                                                       Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)
           -Haldeman’s, Rogers’ opinion
     -Text/spontaneity
     -Pattern
     -Dwight D. Eisenhower
     -Peroration
     -Structure
     -Delivery of text
           -President’s April 7, 1971 speech
     -Teleprompter
     -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
     -Memorization
     -Frequency
           -Future appearances
           -Future press conferences
           -Audience
           -Buchanan
           -Cambodian speech of April 30, 1970
           -Meeting with editors
           -Speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
           -State of the Union address, January 22, 1971
           -Press conferences
     -Meeting with editors
           -Television
           -Radio
     -Risks
     -Frequency
     -Schedule
           -Jo Anne (Horton) Haldeman
     -Interview with Howard K. Smith, March 22, 1971
     -President’s exposure
           -Frequency
                 -Interview with representatives of television networks, January 4, 1971
                 -State of the Union address
                                             15

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



               -J. A. Haldeman’s views
               -Effect
          -Planning
               -Press conferences
                     -Television
               -Editors

Haldeman left at 9:58 am                                             Conv. No. 476-7 (cont.)