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Conversation: 500-016

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Start Date: 18-May-1971 11:30 AM

End Date: 18-May-1971 12:16 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ehrlichman, John D.Shultz, George P.Butterfield, Alexander P.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Frank, JonieceKleppe, Thomas S.Flanigan, Peter M.Atkins, Oliver F. ("Ollie")Frank, John N.Frank, John N. (Mrs.)

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:22:53

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:06:39

500a.mp3

500b.mp3

500c.mp3

500d.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Joniece Frank, Thomas S. Kleppe, Peter M. Flanigan, Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins, John N. Frank, and Mrs. John N. Frank met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:30 am to 12:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 500-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 500-16

Date: May 18, 1971
Time: 11:30 am - 12:16 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman and George P. Shultz.

     Supersonic Transport [SST]
          -Boeing
          -President's schedule
          -William E. Timmons' Senate vote projections
          -William M. Allen's previous testimony
                -Possible Boeing statement
                                       19

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



                -Effect
     -Boeing
          -Contract position
     -Cost figures
          -Allen
     -Timmons
          -Possible Boeing statement
          -Senate
          -House of Representatives conferees
          -Senate
     -Boeing
          -George H. Mahon, Allen J. Ellender
          -Future contracts
                -Governor Daniel J. Evans
          -Future participation in SST program
     -Lockheed
          -Future
     -Boeing
          -Government and private efforts
                -Research and development
                -Sharing costs
                -707's and 727's
     -Gerald R. Ford
          -Efforts for SST
          -Forthcoming meeting with Ehrlichman
     -House of Representatives
     -Allen
          -Role

Boeing
     -Actions
          -President’s view
     -Future contracts
          -Prohibition
          -Tanker
     -Allen
          -Future meeting with Ehrlichman
                -A hydrofoil
     -Actions
     -Shultz's May 19, 1971 speech to aerospace industry meeting in Williamsburg

Senate
                                       20

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



     -Peter H. Dominick
           -Health
                 -Kissinger
           -Statement regarding railroad strike
     -Action regarding railroad strike
     -Possible handling of policy matters
           -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield Amendment
     -Clark MacGregor                                       Conv. No. 500-16 (cont.)
           -Dominick
                 -Health

House of Representatives
    -[Thomas] Hale Boggs' action regarding debt amendment
          -Wilbur D. Mills
          -Effects
          -Mills and House Ways and Means Committee
    -Boggs' action regarding education bill
          -George H. Mahon
    -Leadership

Railroad strike
     -Possible Congressional action
           -President’s view

Boeing
     -Ehrlichman's meetings
     -Future
     -Ford
     -Robert P. Griffin

Railroad strike
     -Senate Labor Committee vote
           -Wage increase
           -Prospects in House
     -Unions
     -Timing of action
     -Pending legislation

President's schedule
     -Ambassador's presentation of credentials
            -Togo
     -Interview with businessmen magazine editors
                                              21

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 9/08)



                -Herbert G. Klein
                -Time, Fortune, Barron's, Forbes
                -Shultz's possible role
                -President's role
                -Peterson

Alexander Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 11:30 am.
                                                                   Conv. No. 500-16 (cont.)
           -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 12:10 pm.

           -Interview with businessmen magazine editors
                 -Shultz's role
                 -Railroad strike
                 -Shultz's role
                 -Maurice H. Stans and Paul W. McCracken
                 -Peterson's role
                 -Shultz's role

Haldeman entered at an unknown time after 11:30 am.

                -Ground rules
                     -Klein
                     -Fortune editors
                     -Klein

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 12:10 pm.

               -Themes
                     -State of economy in 1969
                           -Administration efforts
                                 -Rates of inflation
           -Quadriad meeting, May 21, 1971
               -John B. Connally, McCracken, and Arthur F. Burns
                     -Trip to Italy
               -Haldeman
               -Previous meeting
               -Date
               -President's role
               -Agenda, purpose
                                        22

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



Economy
    -Interest rates
          -Burns and the Federal Reserve Board
          -Connally's testimony to Abraham A. Ribicoff's committee
    -Domestic compared with international economy
          -Federal Reserve
          -Connally, McCracken, and Burns trip
    -Talking paper for President                              Conv. No. 500-16 (cont.)
    -Connally, McCracken, and Burn trip
          -Peterson
          -Connally
          -Burns
          -Peterson

Social Security
     -Congressional vote
           -Family Assistance Plan
           -President's statement
                 -Purpose
           -Republican vote
     -Cost-of-living escalator
           -Budget outlay in Fiscal Year 1973

Economy
    -Possible June budget meeting
          -Location
          -Shultz's conversation with Connally and McCracken
          -Date
          -Second quarter estimates
          -Date
                -President's schedule
                      -Tricia Nixon's wedding
    -Fiscal Year 1973 budget
          -John N. Mitchell
          -Importance for 1972 Republican platform
    -Property tax
          -Possible tax revision
                -Connally
                -Importance
                      -Value-added tax
                      -Compared with revenue-sharing and government reorganization
          -Revenue-sharing connection
                                       23

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 9/08)



                 -View among state and local governments
     -Possible tax revision
          -Mills
          -Importance in 1972
                 -The poor
                 -Middle America

Domestic issues                                               Conv. No. 500-16 (cont.)
    -Food stamps
          -Importance
          -President's speeches
    -Blacks
          -President's reply to the Black Caucus
    -A notebook
          -Constituencies
    -Hunger program, Family Assistance Plan
          -Importance
    -Tax credits
          -Tuition tax credits
          -Faculty salary subsidies
                -Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT]
    -Budget and economics review
    -Tax revision
          -Connally
                -Influences
                      -Paul A. Volcker, Charls E. Walker
    -Budget ceilings
          -Review
                -1970 review
    -Space program
          -Moon shots
          -Ehrlichman's May 17, 1971 meeting with James C. Fletcher of National
                Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA]
                -NASA's mission
                -Future meeting(s)
    -Saline water
          -Possible NASA role
          -President's review of option paper
          -Importance
                -Florida, Texas, California
          -Option paper
                                        24

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 9/08)



Economy
    -Housing starts [?]
    -Inflation figures
    -Consumer Price Index [CPI]
    -Interest rates
          -Mortgage money
                -Possible interest subsidy
                      -Housing                                 Conv. No. 500-16 (cont.)
    -Railroad strikes
    -Status
    -International situation
          -Causes
          -Connally's statement
          -Milton Friedman's article "The Mark Crisis" in Newsweek
          -Volcker's statement to President
                -Stock Market

     -Treasury Department
          -Volcker
                -”Establishment”
     -Burns
          -Position on gold
     -Currency values
          -Shultz’s view
          -Effect of US trade
                -Exports
                -Japanese yen
     -Stock market
          -Effect of railroad strike

Domestic issues
    -Racial violence
          -May 17, 1971 Bedford-Stuyvesant incident
                -Cause
                     -Police action
                     -Unemployment
          -Prospects
          -Possible action
          -Effects
          -Possible action
          -May 17, 1971 incident
                -Cause
                                              25

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



                              -Police action
                        -John V. Lindsay's actions
                  -1960's riots, 1971 Washington, D.C. demonstrations
                  -Riot control
                        -Law Enforcement Assistance Administration [LEAA]
                        -1967 Washington, D.C. riots

     President's schedule                                           Conv. No. 500-16 (cont.)
          -Meeting with National Small Businessman of the Year

      International trade statistics
            -Stans' work
John N. Frank, Mrs. John N. Frank, Joniece Frank, Thomas S. Kleppe, and Peter M. Flanigan
entered at 12:10 pm; Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins was present the beginning of the meeting.

     Greetings

Ehrlichman and Shultz left at 12:10 pm.

     Introductions

     Republicans

     Photo arrangements

     Award

     Frank's business

     California, Oklahoma

     Gifts
             -Cuff links
             -Bow pins

     Frank's business

     President's family
          -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
                 -Decoration of Oval Office
          -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                 -Needlework
                                              26

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)




The Franks and Kleppe left at 12:15 pm.

     Small business

     Business magazine editors meeting [?]
          -Roosevelt Room
                -McCracken, Shultz, Peterson, [Unintelligible name], James
                                                                      Conv.D.
                                                                            No.
                                                                              Hodgson,
                                                                                500-16 (cont.)
                      Rogers C. B. Morton, Stans
          -President's possible role

Flanigan left at 12:16 pm.