Conversation: 486-001
Prev: 485-005 Next: 486-002Start Date: 22-Apr-1971 9:41 AM
End Date: 22-Apr-1971 10:41 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Dole, Robert J.; Armstrong, Anne L.; Bull, Stephen B.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:00:42
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 00:57:32
NARA Description:
On April 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Robert J. Dole, Anne L. Armstrong, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:41 am to 10:41 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 486-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 486-1
Date: April 22, 1971
Time: 9:41 am - 10:41 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Instruction to Kissinger
-Forthcoming telephone call to William P. Rogers
Vietnam
-Veterans
-News
President's People's Republic of China [PRC] Initiative
-Credit
-State Department
-Reaction
Kissinger's Schedule
-Berlin
PRC Initiative
-Melvin R. Laird
-Rogers
-State Department
-United Nations [UN] representation issue
-Lack of initiative or knowledge
-Communications with PRC
-Nicolae Ceausescu
-Mohammad Yahya Khan
Berlin Negotiations
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Technical Issue
-Timing
PRC Initiative
-President’s initiative
-Publicity
-John A. Scali
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
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-Press
-State Department
-Background
-Tactics
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 13s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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-State Department
-Briefing paper
-Condominium
-Rogers
-Ceausescu
-Message from Peking
-Yahya Khan
-Chou En-lai
-Taiwan
-State Department
-National Security Council [NSC]
-Kissinger's Role
-Robert Pierpoint
-Marvin L. Kalb
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-State Department
-Credit
-Laos
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
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[Transcript #1: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman was present at an unknown time after 9:41 am Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
Scali
-President's role
-John Foster Dulles
PRC initiative
-Kissinger
-State Department
-Defense Department
-President’s initiative
-Scali
-Rogers
-Haldeman’s possible telephone call
-CBS
-State Department
-Rogers
-UN representation
-Rogers
-Llewellyn E. ("Tommy") Thompson
-Letter
-Opposition to initiative
-Position publication
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republic [USSR]
-Rogers
-Foreign Service
-Thompson
-Letter
-Possible publication
-Kissinger's role
-Scali’s role
-Publicity
-Kissinger
-President's role
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Kissinger's role
-President’s list
-John Osborne
-Donald Oberdorfer, Jr.
-Hugh S. Sidey
-President's Initiatives
Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
[Transcript #2: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
President’s speech at Republican Governors Conference, Williamsburg, Virginia, April 19,
1971
-Welfare theme
Welfare
-Workers
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 16s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**********************************************************************
-Welfare mothers
-Work
-Children
Demonstrations
-Television
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
[Transcript #3: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
Administration policies Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
-PRC initiative
-Importance
-Graham B. Steenhoven
-Appearance on television, April 21, 1971
-Style
-Questions
-Background
PRC initiative
-Calls to Kissinger
-Importance
-Elections
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security]
[Duration: 18s ]
PRC
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
**********************************************************************
The President's schedule
-Kissinger's forthcoming call to Laird
-Camp Pendleton, California
-First Marine Division
-Laird
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
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-Scali
-Air Force One
-Press
Kissinger's schedule
**********************************************************************
Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 9s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
**********************************************************************
-Trip to Europe
-Itinerary
-Edward R. G. Heath
-Cabinet Secretary
-Letter to the President
-Paris
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Privacy]
[Duration: 8s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
******************************************************************************
-Paris
-Arthur K. Watson
-Dinner
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
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******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[Privacy]
[Duration: 48s ]
Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
******************************************************************************
-Timing
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
[Transcript #4: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
The President's foreign policy initiatives
-Cambodia
-Laos
-North Vietnam
-PRC
-USSR
The President's schedule
-Meeting with Republican Congressional leaders
-John W. Byrnes
Robert J. Dole and Anne Armstrong entered and Kissinger left at 10:07 am; the White House
photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting
Greetings
Armstrong's schedule
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
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Photo session
-Pictures
-Distribution
Introductions
**********************************************************************
Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 35s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
**********************************************************************
Federal government
-Removals
-Agencies
-Discipline
Dole's visit to New York, April 21, 1971
-Support for the President on economy
-George Champion, Jr.
-Elmer H. Bobst
Post-Vietnam
-President's meeting with Senators
-Japan and Germany
Bobst
-Condition
Dole's speech
-Noel C. Koch
-Bullock Forum
-Polls
-Koch
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
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**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 55s ]
Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
**********************************************************************
Vietnam
-Difficulty
-Outlook
-Press
-John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson
-Women
-Concerns
-Draft
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
Welfare
The President's remarks at Republican Governors' Conference, Williamsburg, Virginia,
April 19, 1971
-Work
-Personal anecdotes
-President's position
-Charity
-Guaranteed income
-Administration's program
-Work
-Alternative
-Department of Health, Education and Welfare's [HEW] position
-Assistance
-Food stamps
-President’s position
-Welfare children
-Poverty
-Self-help
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Self-development
-Children
-First step
-Swimming
-Work
-President's meeting with Rio Grande High School students, April 16, 1971
-Mexican children
-Work Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
-Responsibility
-Self-reliance and self-respect
-Disabilities
-Charity
-Capacity for work
-Dole's activities regarding helping the handicapped
-Self-help
-Haldeman's conversation with Kissinger
-Work
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 29s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
**********************************************************************
-Republican Governors Conference
-Rio Grande High School
-Republican Governors Conference
-Background of question
-Menial jobs
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
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(rev. 9/08)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 12s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10 Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
-Society
[Transcript #5: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
The President's meeting with Rio Grande High School students
-Patsy Ramirez
-Work and activities
-Earnings
-Texan tamales
-California tamales
-Cost
-Earnings
-Menial tasks
-Car washes
-Orange trees
-Mexicans
-Appearance
-Boys and girls
-Number
-Principal
The President's meetings with youth groups
Youth
-Work
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Stimulation
-Challenges
-Problem
-Indulgence
-Denials
-Automobiles
-Trips to Europe
-Responsibility Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
-Blaming others for inadequacies
Administration programs
-End of Vietnam War
-Prospects
-Environment
-Welfare
-Revenue sharing
-Health
-Blacks and minorities
-Poor
Objects of blame
-College professors
-Draft evaders
-Preachers
-Quakers
-Avoidance of draft
Problems
-Vietnam War
-Environment
-Races
Children
-Self-analysis
-Indulgence by patents
-Pampering
-Discipline
-Escapism
Nation
-Mood
-Supersonic Transport [SST]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
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-Priorities
-Ghettos
-Defense
-Analogy to individual
-Selfishness
-Destiny
-General Charles A. J. M. deGaulle
-Policies Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
-President’s view
-Quoted
-Great enterprises
-US historical enterprises
-Exploration of the West
-War
-Space
-Moon landing
-Prospects
-Computerization
-Exploration of unknown
-Youth
-Unselfishness
-Peace Corps
-Volunteers In Service To America [VISTA]
-Activities against government
-Idealism
-View of nation's role
-Leadership in world
-Role of US in world
-Historical powers
-British, French, Spanish
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:07 am
The President's schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 10:40 am
Youth
-Upper middle class
-Problems
-Parents
-Compassion
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
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-Understanding
-Way to greatness
Nation
-Guaranteed income
-Work
-Welfare program
-Work Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
-Education for children
-Children
-Responsibility
-National character and individual character
-Rich societies
-Soft societies
US position in world
-Example of Japan and Germany
-World War II
-Development
-Difficulties
-Character
US
-General condition
Youth
-College tuition loans
-President's position
-HEW
National character
-Testing
-Home
-Mothers
-Churches
-Institutions in disrepair
Children and youth
-Women’s role
-Home
-Communities
-Church
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
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-Permissiveness
-Self evaluation
-Responsibility
-Vietnam War
Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
-Fathers
-Environment Conv. No. 486-1 (cont.)
-System
-College
-President's education
-College and high school career
-Teachers
-Evaluation
Nation
-Need for optimism
-Media
-Radio, television, newspapers
-Poverty
-Compared with world
-US foreign policy
-American people
Presentation of gifts
-Cufflinks
-Paper weight
Need for optimism
Dole's meeting with unknown person
Dole and Armstrong left at 10:40 am
Armstrong
-Compared with Patricia R. Hitt
Haldeman left at 10:41 am
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)