Conversation No. 477-1

Date: April 12, 1971
Time: 9:10 am - 10:33 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and an unknown man

     Charles W. Colson
          -Mailings

     Polls

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 10:33 am

             -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
             -Vietnam
             -News summary
             -NBC
             -Washington Star
             -Opinion Research Corporation [ORC]
             -George H. Gallup
             -Publicity
                  -Robert J. Dole
                  -Congress
             -ORC
                  -Presidential popularity
             -Democratic poll

     President’s schedule

     Forthcoming press conference, April 17, 1971
          -Announcement
          -Wire services
          -Editors
          -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -President’s time spent with press and media
                -Television network commentators
                -Reporters
                     -Howard K. Smith
                -Women’s press
                -Women’s television commentators
                                         2

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



           -Press conferences
                 -Oval Office and television
           -Scheduling
                 -Frequency
           -American Society of Newspaper Editors [ASNE]
           -Questions and answers
           -Victor Lasky
           -Allen S. Drury
           -Peregrine Worsthorne
           -Astronauts
     -Instructions for Ziegler
           -Herbert G. Klein
           -John A. Scali
           -John D. Ehrlichman
     -Format of future press conferences
           -Opportunity
           -Reaction
           -News summaries
           -Smith
           -Views of unknown journalists
     -Editors’ bulletin on President’s press activities
           -Press corps
           -Ziegler

J. Edgar Hoover
     -Possible resignation
          -Washington Star article
          -Congress
          -Press
          -President’s defense of Hoover
          -Haldeman’s activities
          -Richard G. Kleindienst
          -John N. Mitchell
          -President’s conversation with Hoover
                 -1972 election
          -General Lewis B. Hershey
                 -Retirement
          -President’s possible conversation with Mitchell
          -Mitchell’s schedule
                                         3

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



William P. Rogers
     -Instructions to Haldeman
           -Haldeman’s possible discussion with Rogers
     -Attitude towards foreign service
     -Charles W. Yost
           -Tenure
           -Views on Vietnam
     -[Forename unknown] Tatu                                    Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
           -Cambodia
                 -Information to press
                       -State Department spokespeople
     -Support for President’s Vietnam policy
           -Laos
     -Yost
           -Rogers’ attitude
           -Lack of information in White House files
           -State Department
     -Goals
           -Rogers’ support for President’s Vietnam policy
           -Yost
                 -President’s forthcoming meeting with editors
                 -Need for Rogers to disagree with Yost
                 -Possible questions
           -Foreign service personnel
                 -Rogers’ attitude
                 -Henry A. Kissinger
                 -Support for President
     -Yost
           -Tenure
           -President’s defense
           -Rogers
           -Alger Hiss
                 -Defense fund
           -Courtesy shown by White House
           -Council on foreign relations
           -Hubert H. Humphrey
           -Article
           -Kissinger
           -Letters
                 -Middle East
                 -Vietnam
                                        4

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



Appointments
    -[Robert M.?] O’Mahoney
    -[Brian?] O’Doherty

Unknown event [Easter parade?]
    -Need to abolish
    -Franklin D. Roosevelt
                                                         Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
President’s schedule
     -President’s forthcoming meeting with Rogers
     -Kissinger
     -Vietnam
           -Laos
     -President’s Vietnam policy
     -Sequoia
     -Press conference
           -Timing

Demonstrations
    -Veterans, April 19, 1971
         -Prospect
    -Daughters of the American Revolution [DAR]
         -Meeting
    -Support
    -Common Cause
    -Composition
         -Rennie Davis
    -People’s Coalition for Peace in Vietnam
         -Davis
         -Names
         -Timing
               -April 24, 1971

President’s schedule
     -Camp David
     -Press conference
     -Demonstrations

Demonstrations
    -Focus
    -Scheduling
                                       5

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 9/08)



     -”May Day”
         -Weathermen
              -Goals
     -Edmund S. Muskie

President’s schedule
     -Mitchell
     -Republican Governors’ Conference, April 18-20, 1971   Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
           -Importance
           -President’s possible attendance
           -Mitchell’s views
                 -Press
           -Revenue sharing
           -Politics
           -Mitchell’s ideas
           -President’s possible participation
           -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
           -Meetings
                 -Frequency
           -Agnew
           -Conference, April 18-20, 1971
     -DAR
     -White House church service
     -Press conference, April 24, 1971
           -Possible questions
           -Demonstrations
                 -Possible response
                       -Routineness
     -Camp David
     -Sequoia
           -Instructions for Haldeman
                 -Use
     -Republican Governors’ Conference
           -President’s participation
           -Tom McCall
           -Politics
           -Mitchell
                 -Public sessions

Hoover
    -Possible retirement
         -Timing
                                             6

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



               -Mitchell
               -Timing of announcement
               -Resolution from Congress
                    -Praise for Hoover
               -Choice of successor
                    -Washington Star article
                    -Subsequent President
               -Possible strategy                             Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
                    -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
                    -1972 election
               -Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI]
               -Choice of successor

    President’s schedule
         -Speeches
               -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
               -DAR
               -Duration
               -Chamber of Commerce
               -Content

    President’s use of media
         -Radio talks
         -Scheduling
         -Audience
         -Subjects

    Youth conferences
        -Resolutions
        -Vietnam


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 53s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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                                           7

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)




“Establishment” dinner
     -Mitchell
     -List
     -Editors
           -Preston Wolfe
           -Francis L. Dale                               Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
     -President’s possible participation
     -Finance

Maurice H. Stans dinner
    -Compared with W. Clement Stone dinner
    -Significance to participants
    -President’s activities
          -Timing
    -John B. Connally
    -Reaction
    -Paul W. McCracken
          -Briefing

Economy
    -First quarter figures
    -Predictions
    -Gross National Product [GNP]
    -Optimism
    -Laos
    -Confidence
    -Construction
    -Employment
    -President’s conversations with various people
    -Recession
          -Arthur F. Burns
          -National agony
    -Forecast

Revenue sharing
    -Ehrlichman and George P. Shultz
    -Sales plan
    -Ehrlichman’s schedule
    -William L. Safire
    -Price
                                              8

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)



        -Need for explanation of plan

Margaret Chase Smith
    -Defense of President
    -Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr.

Anti-ballistic Missiles [ABM]
     -Appropriations                                             Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
     -Senate
     -Kissinger
     -Date of vote in Senate
     -Briefing
            -Kissinger
            -Clark MacGregor
            -William E. Timmons
            -Scali
            -Ziegler
     -Kissinger
            -Briefing
            -View of MacGregor

Staff
        -Need for unity
             -Yost
             -United Nations [UN]
             -Yost
                   -Tenure
             -MacGregor
                   -Relations with Congress
             -Timmons
             -MacGregor and Timmons

Vietnam
     -Conclusion of President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
           -Effects
           -Compared with November 3, 1969
           -Stabilization
           -Safire
     -President’s policies
           -Troop withdrawal
           -Casualties
     -News story
                                         9

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



           -US losses in fighting [related to North Vietnamese attack on Fire Base 6,
                 Central Highlands, South Vietnam]
                 -Helicopter
                 -Casualties
                 -Timing
     -Casualties
     -Cambodia
           -News story                                              Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
     -Network coverage
           -Casualties
           -News summary
     -Press coverage
           -Decline since President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
     -MacGregor
           -Haldeman’s briefing
     -Scali
           -Colson briefing
     -Colson
     -Scali
           -Attendance at meetings
                 -Kissinger
     -MacGregor
           -Morale
           -President’s April 7, 1971 meeting with MacGregor and others
           -Reaction to President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
           -Kissinger

Congress
    -MacGregor
    -Domestic programs
    -Revenue sharing
    -Economy
    -Military appropriations
    -Draft extension
    -Carl B. Albert
          -Congressional reception at White House
          -80th Congress members

Hoover
    -[Thomas] Hale Boggs
         -Publicity
    -Resignation
                                        10

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



     -Resolution in Congress
     -Letter of confidence
     -Resolution
           -Boggs
     -Letter
           -Circulation
           -House of Representatives
           -Political implications                          Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
           -MacGregor
           -Justice Department
           -Colson
           -Congress
                 -Letter
                 -Samuel L. Devine
                 -Democrat
                 -Circulation
                 -Content

President’s forthcoming meeting with ASNE, April 16, 1971
     -Planning
     -Ziegler
     -Preliminaries
     -Television
     -Network radio
     -Planning

President’s schedule
     -Possible press conference, April 17, 1971
     -Preparation
     -Demonstrations

Demonstrations
    -Polls
    -Possible press conference
    -People’s Coalition for Peace in Vietnam
    -Administration’s efforts

President’s schedule
     -Press conference
           -Timing
     -Press corps
     -Press conference
                                               11

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



                 -Scheduling
           -Demonstrations
           -Press conference
                 -Preparation
                 -Television coverage
           -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] talks
           -Press conference
                 -Scheduling                                             Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
           -May Day demonstrations
                 -Possible conflict with press conference
                 -Duration
           -Press conference
                 -Timing
                      -President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971

     President’s schedule
          -Executive Office Building
          -Hoover
          -Kissinger
          -Easter parade

Kissinger entered and the President left at 9:40 am

[Pause]

     Easter egg roll

     White paper
          -Nixon Administration
               -Staff unity
               -Ziegler

The President entered at an unknown time after 9:40 am

     Kissinger’s morale

     Vietnam
          -Casualties previous week
                -Predictions
                -Compared with Cambodia
          -Yost
                -Haldeman
                                         12

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



           -Rogers
           -Letter of October 1969
           -Memos on all subjects
           -Tenure
     -George H. W. Bush
           -Yost
           -Washington Post
           -Meeting with Associated Press [AP] board      Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
           -Meetings with Time and Newsweek editors
           -Support for President
     -Yost
           -Statement in 1968 on negotiations
     -Richard M. Helms
           -News summary
           -Pathet Lao desertions
                 -Numbers

People’s Republic of China [PRC]
     -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
     -Visit of ping-pong team
     -Announcement of visit
     -Recognition by US
           -Robert D. Murphy

Vietnam
     -Fire Base 6
           -Central Highlands
     -Possible US strategy
           -South Vietnamese military activities
           -Press attitudes
           -North Vietnamese casualties
     -Pathet Lao
           -Helms
     -Helms
     -Network coverage of losses
           -Compared to Korea
           -Casualty counting
                -Methods
           -Korea

Calley case
     -Administration’s policy
                                           13

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 9/08)



      -Unknown general’s role
      -Robert A. Taft, Jr.’s support for President
      -Colson
      -Prospects
      -Release statement

PRC
      -Radio broadcasts                                    Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
      -Reception of American ping-pong team
      -Newsmen
           -NBC
           -AP
      -Relations with US

Pakistan
     -Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
     -State Department
     -Rogers
     -Joseph J. Sisco
     -Dacca consulate
     -US policy
     -Analogy to Nigeria
           -Civil war
           -Biafra
           -Nazi Germany
                 -Adolf Hitler
     -Dangers of US involvement
     -Bengali reaction
           -Leadership
     -West Pakistan
     -Rogers
     -Forthcoming policy statement for President
     -State Department
     -Rogers
     -US role
     -Vietnam
           -”Civil War”
     -Nigeria
           -Biafra
           -[Forename unknown] Bedell [sp?]
     -Civil war
     -Economic aid
                                              14

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 9/08)



         -India
               -Reaction to civil war
               -Bengalis
         -US policy
               Neutrality
         -Economic aid
               -West Pakistan
                                                                Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
    Vietnam
         -Demonstrations
         -Effects of war on American people
         -US position
              -Delaying action
         -Negotiations
              -Timing
         -PRC
         -USSR
              -Possible summit meeting
              -Lifting of trade restrictions with PRC


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 53s ]


    FOREIGN AFFAIRS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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         -Communists
         -US policy
         -President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971

    PRC initiative
        -Kissinger’s conversation with Rowland Evans
                                              15

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



          -Rogers
          -Marshall Green
          -State Department
          -Khan
          -Jean Sainteny
          -Nicolae Ceausescu
          -Indira Gandhi
          -Press reaction                                             Conv. No. 477-1 (cont.)
          -Announcement on lifting of restrictions on trade
                -Timing
                -State Department
                -Announcement by President

     President’s schedule
          -Meeting with Anna C. Chennault
          -Meeting with Taiwan ambassador
          -Press corps

The President, Haldeman, and Kissinger left at 10:33 am