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Conversation: 481-005

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Start Date: 17-Apr-1971 10:46 AM

End Date: 17-Apr-1971 11:24 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Bull, Stephen B.White House operatorHoover, J. EdgarMansfield, Michael J. ("Mike")Kissinger, Henry A.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:36:52

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:10:28

481-005.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, J. Edgar Hoover, Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:46 am and 11:24 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 481-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 481-5

Date: April 17, 1971
Time: Unknown between 10:45 am and 11:24 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull
                                                                     Conv. No. 481-4 (cont.)
     The President's schedule
          -Henry A. Kissinger

[The President talked with the White House operator at 10:46 am]

[Conversation No. 481-5A]

[See Conversation No. 1-123]

[End of telephone conversation]

Bull left at an unknown time between 10:46 am and 10:49 am

[The President talked with J. Edgar Hoover between 10:49 am and 10:52 am]

[Conversation No. 481-5B]

[See Conversation No. 1-123A]

[End of telephone conversation]

Kissinger entered at 10:52 am

[Kissinger talked with Hoover at 10:52 am]

[Conversation No. 481-5C]

[See Conversation No. 1-123B]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Hoover's resignation
         -President's statement to American Society of Newspaper Editors [ASNE], April 16,
                1971
                                             11

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



          -General Lewis B. Hershey
          -President’s statement to ASNE
          -William C. Sullivan
                -Qualifications

     Meeting with Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
          -Clark MacGregor
                                                                      Conv. No. 481-5 (cont.)
[The White House operator talked with the President at an unknown time between 10:52 am and
11:02 am]

[Conversation No. 481-5D]

[See Conversation No. 1-124]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Meeting with Mansfield
          -Foreign policy

     Kissinger's dinner with Katharine L. Graham
          -Sir [Arthur] George Weidenfeld
          -President's meeting with ASNE
                -Radio
          -Radio
          -Weidenfeld
          -Adlai E. Stevenson, III
                -Vietnam withdrawal
                      -Elections
          -Indian Ambassador
          -Weidenfeld
                -Comment about the President
                -Sir Harold G, Nicolson
                      -Son
          -David Ginsberg
          -Judgement of President s interview by ASNE
          -Hoover
          -Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr. case
                -George C. Wallace
          -Graham's remarks

     President's meeting with ASNE
                                             12

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



          -President's 1968 appearance
          -President's remarks
                -People's Republic of China [PRC]
                -Vietnam
                -Calley
          -Strain on the President
          -Vietnam
                -Withdrawal                                        Conv. No. 481-5 (cont.)
                -Residual force
                -Korea
                -Prisoners of War [POWs]
                -US position

     Vietnam
          -Ellsworth F. Bunker
          -Negotiations
          -Withdrawal date
          -President's forthcoming meeting with General Nguyen Van Thieu
          -Withdrawal date
                -Announcement
                -Negotiations
                -Joint announcement

Bull entered at an unknown time between 10:45 am and 11:02 am

     President’s schedule
          -Mansfield

Bull left at an unknown time between 10:45 am and 11:02 am

                 -US position
                 -POWs
                 -Cease fire

Mansfield entered at 11:02 am

     Greetings

     Letter
           -Lecture series
           -Speech
           -Kissinger
                                             13

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 9/08)




    President's PRC Policy
         -Mansfield's schedule
         -President's possible trip to PRC
         -Possible trip by Mansfield
                -Private offer of presidential trip
         -Development of relations
         -Chou En-lai                                         Conv. No. 481-5 (cont.)
                -George Kung-chao Yeh
         -US objectives
         -Possible trip by Mansfield
                -Private effort
                -Romanians
                      -Mansfield telegram to Chou En-Lai
         -Mansfield's letter to the President
                -Congress
         -Possible trip by Michael Gravel
         -Romanian Ambassador


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 11s ]


    FOREIGN AFFAIRS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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         -Publicity
         -Mansfield's possible cable
              -Possible consequences
         -Mansfield's letter to the President
              -Fall back position
         -Requests for visits by senators to PRC
              -State Department
                                  14

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 9/08)



-Ping-pong team
-Possible trip by Mansfield
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
      -Mansfield's possible visit to PRC
      -US relations
            -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
            -Middle East
-Mansfield's statement in Senate                      Conv. No. 481-5 (cont.)
-President's policies
-Mansfield's position
-President's meeting with ASNE
      -Response to questions
            -United Nations [UN]
            -Trade and travel restrictions
                  -Timetable
-Trade
-US strategy
-Normalization of relations
-UN representation issue
      -Taiwan
      -Great Britain
-British representation in Peking
-Romania
      -Nicolae Ceausescu
-Mansfield's possible cable
-Importance of making new request
-Ceausescu
      -Role
      -Chou En-lai
      -Meeting with President
            -Vietnam
            -North Korea
      -Value of channel
-Josip Broz Tito
-Ceausescu
-Mansfield's Possible Cable
-President's meeting with ASNE
      -Calls to Chou En-lai
-Reaction in Senate
      -Lifting of trade and travel restrictions
      -Mansfield's statement
-Travel Restrictions
                                                15

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



                -Travel by Americans and Chinese
                -Defense Department
                -Justice Department
                -Espionage
                      -Soviets
                      -Chinese

     World War II                                              Conv. No. 481-5 (cont.)
         -Nisei
         -Relocation camps
              -California
              -Missoula, Montana
              -Earl Warren
         -Pearl Harbor
         -Blame

     World War I
         -Blame
              -Germans
              -Austrians
              -French
              -British
              -Russians
              -Kaiser Wilhelm II

     Mansfield's possible trip to PRC
         -President's possible visit to PRC
         -Presidency
         -President's senate experience
         -Other congressmen
         -Advantages
                -Possible report by Mansfield
                -Amateurs
         -Romanians
                -US relations with PRC
                -Mansfield's role
                -Ceausescu
         -Ping-pong table

Kissinger and Mansfield left at 11:24 am
                                               16

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)