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Conversation: 484-004

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Start Date: 21-Apr-1971 11:18 AM

End Date: 21-Apr-1971 11:34 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")[Unknown person(s)]Ziegler, Ronald L.Bull, Stephen B.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:17:11

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:33:53

484-004.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:18 am to 11:34 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 484-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 484-4

Date: April 21, 1971
Time: 11:18 am - 11:34 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H.R. Haldeman.
                                                   24

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 9/08)



     The President's schedule
          -Meeting with ping-pong team
               -John A. Scali
               -Ronald L. Ziegler

An unknown woman entered at an unknown time after 11:18 am

             -Scali

The unknown woman left at an unknown time before 11:22 am

     Scali
             -Columbia Broadcasting Systems [CBS] news story
                  -Marvin L. Kalb
                  -People's Republic of China [PRC] initiative
                       -William P. Rogers and Henry A. Kissinger
                       -State Department
                             -Rogers
             -View regarding Rogers-Kissinger relationship
             -Note to Haldeman, April 21, 1971
                  -Robert J. McCloskey and Ziegler

     The President's PRC initiative
          -Scali's view
          -Rogers and Kissinger
          -Implementation
          -State Department
                -Rogers
          -Scali
          -Haldeman's conversation with Kissinger
          -Kissinger's conversation with Scali

     Scali
             -Role
             -Views on PRC specialists
                   -Camp David
             -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
             -Views on the President's positions
                                              25

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



               -Demonstrations
          -Views
          -Charles W. Colson

     The President's PRC initiative
          -State Department
                -Marshall Green
                -Christian Science Monitor Editorial           Conv. No. 484-4 (cont.)
                      -Quoted
                      -Kissinger
                      -Attribution of credit
          -Attribution of credit
                -Scali's possible initiatives
          -Editorials
          -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew

Ziegler entered at 11:22 am

          -CBC News Story
          -Ziegler's possible conversation with Scali
          -State Department

     The President's schedule
          -Meeting with Graham B. Steenhoven
               -Use of term ping-pong
               -Preference for term “table tennis”
               -Photo session
               -Ziegler
               -Scali
               -Press
                      -Timing
               -Steenhoven's age
               -Press

     Supreme Court decision
          -Integration issue
          -President's meeting with John N. Mitchell
          -Implementation
                -Richard A. Moore
          -Administration's position
                -”Benign neglect”
          -Ziegler's conversation with John D. Ehrlichman
                                               26

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



                -Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
           -Ziegler's possible press statement
                -Ziegler’s press conference, April 20, 1971
           -Haldeman's staff meeting
                -Leonard Garment

     Press stories
           -Table tennis team                                        Conv. No. 484-4 (cont.)
           -Foreign assistance message
                 -Peter G. Peterson

     Agnew's statement on PRC
         -Washington Post story, April 21, 1971
         -Possible press queries
               -President’s response
         -Ziegler's possible statement
         -State Department
         -CBS news story
               -Kalb
               -Scali
               -President's initiatives
               -Kissinger
               -Kalb
                     -Trade-off
                     -Story
               -Rogers

Ziegler left at 11:27 am
     Rogers
            -Schedule
                  -Trip
                  -Meeting with the President, April 22, 1971
            -Relations with Kissinger
            -Attribution of credit
            -Kissinger
            -Attribution of credit
            -State Department
            -Instructions for Scali

     Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger’s dinner with Haldeman and George P. Shultz
          -Theodore White
          -Shultz
                                               27

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



                 -Unknown story
           -Weinberger's relations with Shultz
           -Jane Weinberger
           -Helena (“Obie”) Shultz
           -White's remarks regarding the President's PRC policy
                 -Previous conversations with the President
                 -Book on PRC
                 -Expertise                                        Conv. No. 484-4 (cont.)
                 -Circulation of remarks

     PRC
           -President's conversations with different persons
           -Rogers
                 -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                       -State Department
           -Position
           -President's conversation with White in 1968
           -White's support for the President
                 -John F. Kennedy

     John B. Connally

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:27 am

     The President's schedule
          -Meeting with Steenhoven

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:34 am

     Connally
         -Haldeman's conversation, April 20, 1971
         -Meeting with the President, April 22, 1971
         -Texas

     Texas drought
          -President's memorandum
          -Ehrlichman
          -Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr.
          -George A. Lincoln
          -Clifford M. Hardin
          -President's conversation with Harry S. Dent
                                             28

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



     Hardin
          -Possible reassignment
          -Bryce H. Harlow
               -Schedule
          -Purdue
          -John C. Whitaker
          -Tenure
          -Rogers                                                     Conv. No. 484-4 (cont.)
          -Career aspirations
          -Possible ambassadorial appointment

     Harlow
          -Possible reassignment
               -Secretary of Agriculture
          -National chairman
          -Placement
          -Dent's view
          -Qualifications
               -Speaking

Haldeman left at 11:34 am