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Conversation: 498-002

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Start Date: 13-May-1971 9:28 AM

End Date: 13-May-1971 10:03 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Rogers, William P.Butterfield, Alexander P.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:25:10

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 00:51:00

498a.mp3

498b.mp3

498c.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 13, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, William P. Rogers, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:28 am to 10:03 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 498-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 498-2

Date: May 13, 1971
Time: 9:28 am - 10:03 am                                         Conv. No. 498-1/499-2 (cont.)
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger and H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
The recording began while the meeting was in progress. Discontinuities appear in the original
recording

     Vietnam
          -Michael J. (“Mike) Mansfield's proposal
               -Unknown man's response
               -Jacob K. Javits
                     -Calls to Kissinger
                     -Speech, travel plans
                     -Possible vote
               -Nelson A. Rockefeller
               -"Establishment"
               -David Rockefeller

[The President talked with William P. Rogers between 9:35 am and 9:41 am]

[Conversation No. 498-2A]


[See Conversation No. 3-41]

[End of telephone conversation]

           -Rogers' forthcoming meeting with Mansfield
           -Dean Rusk
                -Health
                -Support for the President
           -Dean G. Acheson

     US troops in Europe
          -Administration Policy
                                             6

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 9/08)



              -Senate's Role
                   -Charles H. Percy
******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 26s ]

    GERMANY

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

******************************************************************************


    Mansfield Amendment
        -Cyrus R. Vance's schedule
              -Hubert H. Humphrey
              -Edmund S. Muskie
        -Muskie's views
              -Vance's conversation with Kissinger
        -Humphrey
        -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy's views
        -"Establishment," Democrats
        -The President's schedule
              -Acheson
              -Nicholas de B. Katzenbach
                   -A meeting of a hospital board
              -Location
                   -Cabinet Room
                   -Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, Andrew J. Goodpaster
                   -Seating arrangements
                         -Rogers, Laird, Acheson, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew

    Agnew's relations with Vance

    The President's meeting
         -Vance's schedule
         -Clark M. Clifford
         -W[illiam] Averell Harriman
              -Views regarding the President's reelection compared with other attendees
              -Health
                                         7

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



     -Relations with Acheson

US troops in Europe
     -Muskie's views
           -William A.K. (“Tony”) Lake

The President's views on issues during the 1960's
     -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]                 Conv. No 498-2 (cont.)
     -"Establishment"


The President's policies
     -Acheson's views
          -Cambodia
          -Intervention

Korea
     -Acheson's Views
          -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
          -China
          -Cambodia

Vietnam
     -Laotian incursion (Lam Som)
           -Public opinion
           -Casualties
           -Effectiveness
           -Absence of spring offensive
     -Military dispositions
           -Instructions for Thomas H. Moorer
                 -Bombing plans
                 -Ellsworth F. Bunker
           -Announcement of the President's Forthcoming Visit to USSR
     -Negotiations
     -Bombing
           -The President’s instruction
                 -Timing
     -Le Duan
           -Visits to USSR and People’s Republic of China [PRC]
     -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]

Forthcoming Announcement
                                            8

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



             -Message to PRC

     The President's Schedule
          -Robert D. Murphy


******************************************************************************
                                                           Conv. No 498-2 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 2m 33s ]

     TAIWAN, REPUBLIC OF CHINA


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

******************************************************************************

     Rogers
         -The President's schedule
              -Kissinger's forthcoming meeting with Gerard C. Smith
         -Possible reaction to news
         -The President's schedule
              -Smith
              -Rogers
              -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin

     [Unintelligible]

Kissinger left at 9:57 am

     Polls

     An unknown man

     SST
             -Humphrey

     Welfare reform
          -Press reports
                -Washington Post
                                               9

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



           -Ronald L. Ziegler's possible comments
           -The President's schedule
                -John W. Gardner and head of Congress of Industrial Organization [CIO]
                       -Implications
           -Popular opinion
           -Public relations
                -Staff's view
                -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan                            Conv. No 498-2 (cont.)
           -The President's schedule
                -Edward L. Morgan's view
                       -H.R. 1
           -Popular opinion
           -Public relations
                -Ziegler, Herbert G. Klein, Agnew

     SST
           -House vote, May 12, 1971
               -Gerald R. Ford
               -Press coverage

     House of Representatives
         -Ford, Carl B. Albert

     Connally
         -Conversation with Ford
         -Joseph C. Kraft's attacks
         -Liberals' views

     National economy
          -Gross National Product [GNP] Statistics
                -Release date
                -Forthcoming briefings
                      -Paul W. McCracken
                      -Herbert Stein
                      -William L. Safire
                            -News magazines
                      -U.S. News & World Report
          -Status of inventories

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 10:02 am

     [Unintelligible]
                                              10

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)




     The President's schedule
          -Roger E. Johnson

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 10:03 am

                -Florida trip
                      -Weather                                        Conv. No 498-2 (cont.)


**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 22s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

**********************************************************************


     The President's schedule
          -Arrangements for Florida trip

Haldeman left at 10:03 am