Conversation: 476-025
Prev: 476-024 Next: 476-026Start Date: 9-Apr-1971 1:47 PM
End Date: 9-Apr-1971 2:37 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Burns, Arthur F.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Peterson, Peter G.; Bull, Stephen B.; Watts, Phil;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 04:54:36
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 05:43:29
NARA Description:
On April 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Arthur F. Burns, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter G. Peterson, Stephen B. Bull, and Phil Watts met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:47 pm to 2:37 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 476-025 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 476-25 Date: April 9, 1971 Time: 1:47 pm - 2:37 pm Location: Oval Office The President talked with Arthur F. Burns [See Conversation No. 1-63] Henry A. Kissinger and Peter G. Peterson entered at 1:50 pm [Peterson talked with Burns at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 1:54 pm] [Conversation No. 476-25A] [See Conversation No. 1-63A] [End of telephone conversation] Peterson’s Council on International Economic Policy [CIEP] briefing -Kissinger -Significance -Future policy -President’s conversation with George P. Shultz -Audience -White House staff and other administration officials -Under secretaries -Congress -Bipartisan group -Sanitization -Clark MacGregor -William P. Rogers -Possible problem in briefing -Trade policy -Bipartisan -Opportunities -Congress -Size of group 59 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 9/08) -Location -State Department -Commerce Department -White House theater -MacGregor -Organization -President’s opening remarks -Length of briefing -Discussion -President’s conversation with Shultz -Briefing with Burns -Anti-trust -Influence with Congress -Length of briefing -Instruction to Kissinger -Use of chart -President’s possible attendance -Briefing -Shultz -Charts -Peterson -The President -Possible conversation with Maurice H. Stans -Businessmen -Labor -Business council executives -Foreign competition -Issues -Charles H. Percy -Conservatives Anti-trust policy -Need for planning -President’s conversation with Burns -President’s conversation with Chicago businessmen, April 8, 1971 -Long-range projections -US goals Peterson’s CIEP briefing -US competitive position -Japan -Europe 60 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 9/08) -Communist world -Chart -Bloc countries versus free world Mexico -Issues -Ontario Airport landing rights -Eggs -Textiles Conv. No. 476-25 (cont.) -New group of leaders -Foreign Minister -Kissinger’s forthcoming call to Ambassador Jose Juan de Olloqui -Luis Echeverria Alvarez Bolivia -Tin -Stockpiling -President’s conversation with Ambassador Antonio Sanchez de Lozada -Shultz -Sanchez de Lozada -Stockpiling Pan-American Highway -Panama -Memorandum to President -Role of departments -Bureaucratic problems -Importance of Latin America -Benefits to Mexico -Mexico City -Economic growth -President’s trip to Mexico, 1955 -Bureau of Public Roads -Long-range plan Tariff preferences -Effect on Latin America -Need for legislation -Franco Maria Malfatti -Rogers -Unknown conference -Need for legislation 61 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 9/08) Sugar -Importance to Latin America -Quota -Page Belcher -Conversation with Peterson -State Department -Latin America -Philippines Conv. No. 476-25 (cont.) -Possible US policy -Kissinger -Ambassadors -State Department -Charles A. Meyer CIEP -Peterson -Rogers -State Department -Representation -Commerce Department -Stans -Trade with Eastern Bloc -Perspective -Likelihood of trade -Timing -Possible US overtures -Economic basis -Time magazine article -Stans -Evaluation -Opportunities -Possibilities -Perspective -Political standpoint -Commerce Department -Meeting at Executive Office Building -Report to Peterson -Use of trade abroad -Stans’ speech -US policy -Foreign policy aspects -Kissinger and Peterson meeting 62 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 9/08) Peterson’s meeting with Time editors -April 13, 1971 -Possible briefing -Economic stance -Defensiveness -Regulation -Outdated policies Conv. No. 476-25 (cont.) -”Generation of peace” -Possible review with Kissinger -Economic leadership -Future -Belief in competition -Home and abroad -US leadership -Emergence of free world -President’s leadership role -Need for programs -David Davis -Peterson’s meeting -Technology -Raw materials -Business-government relationship -Anti-trust -Airlines -Burns -Reaffirmation of US leadership -US political position -US diplomatic position -Administration’s policy -Economic leadership -Malfatti -Multinational corporations -Role of government in industrial research -Peace -Era of economic competition -US preparation -Revitalization -Public and private sector -Trade policy -Anti-trust laws -International monetary policy 63 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 9/08) -Long-range view versus election view -Difficulty of long-range goals -Past perspective -President’s congressional career -US aid to Europe, Japan, and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] -Reciprocal trade -Foreign aid -Marshall Plan Conv. No. 476-25 (cont.) -President’s internationalism -New isolationism -Economic policy -Need for Presidential leadership -Impact on industry, labor, Congress -Military study -Gaither Committee -President’s leadership position -Need for constructive partnership -Technology study -David M. Kennedy -Presidential commissions -Staff -Timing -Joseph C. Wilson, Xerox -Other leaders -Business-government relationship -Anti-trust -Business Council -Raw materials -Recommendation -Business Council -Representation -Heartland -Chicago -Los Angeles -Dallas -Houston -Atlanta -Easterners -Parochialism -Patrick E. Haggerty -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman -Peter M. Flanigan 64 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 9/08) -Energy policy -Breeder reactor -Clean energy Peterson’s briefing -Peterson’s staff Kissinger’s briefing, April 8, 1971 -Research and Development [RAND] Corporation Conv. No. 476-25 (cont.) Burns Peterson left at an unknown time before 2:35 pm Ronald L. Ziegler’s press briefing -Hugh Scott -Impressions of President’s statement -Vietnam withdrawal date -Press -Residual force -Terminal date -Circumstances -Election -Negotiations -Administration’s position -Withdrawal -Unilateral withdrawal -Residual force -President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971 -Melvin R. Laird -Memorandum on residual force -Goal of total withdrawal -Vietnamization -Prisoners of War [POWs] wives -Ziegler -Timing -Conditions -POWs -Negotiation -Vietnamization -Negotiations Kissinger’s conversation with David Brinkley 65 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 9/08) -President’s program of seeing POWs -Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr. -Domestic tensions -Relation with war -Administration’s opponents -Post-war reconciliation -Kissinger’s possible call to Brinkley President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971 Conv. No. 476-25 (cont.) -Reaction -Calley -Brinkley -Mail -Public opinion -Frustration prior to speech Cambodia -President’s conversation with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. -Press story by Terence F. Smith -Floyd E. (“Red”) Smith Possible leak -State Department Kennedy’s trip to Asia -Marshall Green -Indonesia -T. N. J. Suharto -Military aid -Peace Corps -Micronesia -Haig -Joseph H. Blatchford -Evaluation -Haig -Micronesia -Blatchford -Indonesia -Staff -Green -Vietnam -Sir Robert Thompson -Optimism 66 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 9/08) -[Laos and Cambodia] Thompson’s views -Views on Indochina -Timing T. F. Smith article -Cambodia -[Forename unknown] Ladd Conv. No. 476-25 (cont.) -T. F. Smith -Cambodia -Possible loss -Timing Vietnam -Withdrawal rate -Mistakes -Deadlines on operations -Re-equipment of South Vietnamese Army -Cambodia -Military aid -Consequences of loss -Impact on the President -Laos -Lam Son -Admiral Thomas H. Moorer -President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971 -Instruction for Kissinger -Laird Economy -Vietnam -Possible “Tet” [North Vietnamese military operation] -Timing -Consequences -For US and the President -RAND -Recession -Unknown San Francisco and New York bankers -Pockets of recession -Interest rates 67 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 9/08) Agency for International Development [AID] personnel -Thompson -Numbers -Saigon -Indonesia -US aid Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:50 pm Conv. No. 476-25 (cont.) President’s schedule Documents for president’s signature Bull left at an unknown time before 2:35 pm Vietnam -Residual force -Instructions to Kissinger -Telephone call to Rogers -Laird -Residual force -US goal -Total withdrawal -Timing -Conditions -Training of South Vietnamese Army -POWs -Negotiations -Vietnamization -US plans -POW issue -Enemy objective -US goal -Negotiations -US policy -Laird -Forthcoming meeting with Kissinger Phil Watts entered at 2:35 pm Greetings President’s schedule 68 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 9/08) -Saint John’s Episcopal Church -Good Friday services President, Kissinger, and Watts left at 2:37 pm Conv. No. 476-25 (cont.)