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Conversation: 523-006

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Start Date: 16-Jun-1971 5:16 PM

End Date: 16-Jun-1971 6:05 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")[Unknown person(s)]Ziegler, Ronald L.Kissinger, Henry A.Higby, Lawrence M.Woods, Rose Mary

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:27:25

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:13:38

523a.mp3

523b.mp3

NARA Description:

On June 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, Lawrence M. Higby, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:16 pm to 6:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 523-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 523-6
                                              24

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/08)



Date: June 16, 1971
Time: 5:16 pm - 6:05 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Drug policy
          -TV message                                               Conv. No. 523-5 (cont.)
               -Timing
          -Radio message
          -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Content
               -Focus on President's action
          -Need for drug message
               -Format
          -Ziegler's role

     Pentagon Papers
          -Patrick J. Buchanan

[The President talked to an unknown person at an unknown time between 5:16 pm and 5:23 pm]

[Conversation No. 523-6A]

          -Request for Ziegler

[End of telephone conversation]

     Pentagon Papers
          -New York Times
          -Buchanan statement
          -Domestic Council
          -Presidential statement
                -Henry A. Kissinger's role
                     -Kissinger's schedule
                            -Conversation with Egon Bahr

[Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 5:16 pm and 5:23 pm]

[Conversation No. 523-6B]

     Status of Kissinger and John D. Ehrlichman statement
                                              25

                              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/08)




[End of telephone conversation]

     Charles Bluhdorn
          -Meeting with President
          -Ehrlichman
          -Need for meeting
          -Bluhdorn objective                                      Conv. No. 523-6 (cont.)
                -Dominican Republic sugar quota
          -Campaign contributions
                -President's role
                      -Basis
     Anti-war votes in Congress
          -George S. McGovern-Mark O. Hatfield Amendment
                -Terms
                -McGovern and Hatfield strategy
                -Results
                -Vote
                -Preliminary

Ziegler entered at 5:23 pm.

                -Final vote from William E. Timmons
                     -Vote breakdown

     Pentagon Papers
          -Statement
          -Possibilities
          -Necessity
          -Relation to McGovern-Hatfield Amendment
                -Press release
                      -Content
                            -Wind down of war
                            -Alexander P. Butterfield

     Drug speech
          -Expectations
          -Format
          -Content
          -Timing

Kissinger entered at 5:24 pm.
                                               26

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/08)




     Outcome of McGovern-Hatfield Amendment

     Pentagon Papers
          -Necessity of statement
          -Press reaction
          -Henry Brandon call to Kissinger
          -Press reaction to handling of classified data          Conv. No. 523-6 (cont.)
          -Stewart J.O. Alsop story in Newsweek
               -Cuban missile crisis
               -Use of Cabinet Room quote
                     -New York Times reaction
               -President's use of quote
                     -Timing
                     -Effectiveness
                     -Alsop’s reaction
          -Buchanan statement
          -John F. Kennedy material publication
               -Administration leak
               -Alexander M. Haig Jr.
          -Rowland Evans column
          -Brandon
          -Alsop
          -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston responsibility

     Kissinger meeting with Bahr
          -Willy Brandt Remarks
                -Perception
                     -Vietnam
                     -Pakistan
                -Comparison to Mexican President's remarks
                -Background

Kissinger left at 5:30 pm.

     Pentagon Papers
          -Statement by President
                -Ziegler’s view

     Drug statement
          -Television appearance
          -Background
                                                27

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/08)



                -Domestic Council
                -Supporters for statement
                     -Content of statement
                     -Timing

Larry Higby entered at an unknown time after 5:30 pm.

     Schedule                                                  Conv. No. 523-6 (cont.)

Higby left at an unknown time before 5:46 pm.

     Drug Statement
          -Television appearance
          -Radio message
          -Location of delivery
               -Energy message
          -Content
               -Personal statement
                     -Format
          -Length
          -Content
               -President's role
                     -Appointment
                     -Dr. Jerome H. Jaffe
                     -Office increase
                     -Spending
                     -Enforcement
                     -Rehabilitation
          -Buchanan effort
          -Content

     Pentagon Papers
          -Statement by President
                -Assessment of evening news
                -Roger E. Johnson
                -Charles W. Colson's office
          -William P. Rogers’ statement
                -Robert C. Mardian
                -Rogers
                -Ehrlichman and Attorney General preparation
                -Statement by President
                      -Content
                                               28

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/08)



           -President's statement
                 -Format
                 -Timing
           -Benefits of delay
           -Congress
                 -Effectiveness of attack
           -Lyndon B. Johnson's supporters
                 -Kissinger's role                               Conv. No. 523-6 (cont.)
                       -Call from Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
                 -Clark M. Clifford statement
                 -William H. Sullivan
           -Mood of public
                 -Mishandling of classified data
           -Publication of verbatim text
           -June 16 story in New York Times
                 -El Paso gas
                 -Algeria problem
                       -Peter G. Peterson order from President
                       -African desk at Department of State
                       -The French
           -Publication of verbatim text
                 -Story of breaking Japanese code
                       -Chicago Sun Times publication
                             -Precedent
                       -Robert T. Mardian
           -Pearl Harbor precedent
                 -Department of Defense [DOD]
                 -Jewish reporters
                       -Feeling for Franklin D. Roosevelt
                 -Times
           -Necessity for action
                 -Mardian

Ziegler left at 5:46 pm.

     Terry McGinnity
          -Forthcoming visit to Washington

     Pentagon Papers
          -Administration action

     West Point news story
                                        29

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/08)



     -Move of former office to Sweden
     -Background

President’s meeting with John M. O'Neill and Melville Stephens
     -Age of participants
     -O'Neill background
           -Naval Academy
     -Colson role                                                Conv. No. 523-6 (cont.)
           -Qualifications

Agricultural problems
     -Drought
     -Programs

Domestic Council
     -Drugs
Pentagon Papers
     -Ehrlichman efforts
     -Need for coordination
           -Staff competence
           -Institutional framework
     -Ehrlichman and George P. Shultz focus
           -Issue importance
                 -Florida barge canal
           -Ehrlichman's role

President's schedule
     -Shultz
     -Congressional leaders meeting, June 17
            -Timing
            -Bipartisan nature
                 -Kennedy
                 -Edmund S. Muskie

Domestic issues
    -Environment
    -Health
    -Poll results
          -Health as an issue
          -Other issues
                -Vietnam
                -Economics
                                             30

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/08)



                    -Drug addiction
                    -Race relations
                    -Crime and lawlessness
                    -International problems
                    -Youth protest and unrest
                    -Poverty and welfare
               -Methodology
                    -Other issues                                   Conv. No. 523-6 (cont.)
                    -Pollution and ecology
                    -Religion and moral delay
                    -Education

Rose Mary Woods entered at an unknown time after 5:46 pm.


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 57s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


Rose Mary Woods left at an unknown time before 6:05 pm.

     Drug statement
          -Length
          -Content
               -Suggestions
               -Necessity of statement
          -Content
               -Penalties to drug producers
                    -Death penalty
                    -Suspension of aid to producing countries
                    -Emphasis on enforcement
               -Need for emphasis on treatment and rehabilitation
                    -Jaffe’s role
               -Recent statements
                                              31

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



                   -Ties to future statements
                         -American Medical Association [AMA] speech
          -AMA speech
             -Preparation
                   -President's schedule
                   -Length
                   -Noel C. Koch material
                         -Education emphasis                     Conv. No. 523-6 (cont.)
                   -Challenge to AMA
                         -Blue ribbon panel
                               -Contact with Jaffe

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 5:46 pm.

     Item for President

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 6:05 pm.

     AMA speech
        -Health comments versus drug comments
             -Other comments by President
                   -Jaycees
                   -Youth communication and education
        -Role of doctors
             -Education

     President's schedule
          -Visit to small farm town
          -Junior Historical Society (?)

The President and Haldeman left at 6:05 pm.