Conversation: 527-016
Prev: 527-015 Next: 527-017Start Date: 23-Jun-1971 9:14 AM
End Date: 23-Jun-1971 10:12 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ehrlichman, John D.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Albert, Carl B.; White House operator; [Unknown person(s)]; MacGregor, Clark; Bull, Stephen B.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 04:49:40
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 05:39:32
NARA Description:
On June 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, unknown person(s) [Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield's secretary], Henry A. Kissinger, Carl B. Albert, White House operator, unknown person(s), Clark MacGregor, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:14 am to 10:12 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 527-016 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 527-16
Date: June 23, 1971
Time: 9:14 am - 10:12 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield breakfast
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Mansfield
-Aid to President
-Henry A. Kissinger
[The President talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:25 am]
[Conversation No. 527-16A]
Request for presence
-Ehrlichman's schedule
-Telephone call
[The President talked with Senator Mansfield's secretary between 9:22 am and 9:25 am]
[Conversation No. 527-16B]
[See Conversation No. 5-133]
[End of telephone conversation]
Kissinger entered at 9:25 am.
50
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Vietnam Peace negotiations
-North Vietnamese reaction to Clark M. Clifford's statement
-National Liberation Front [NLF] statement
-Prisoners of War [POW] release
Pentagon Papers
-Ken Crawford’s conversation with Lyndon B. Johnson
-Newsweek coverage Conv. No. 527-16 (cont.)
-Johnson view of Pentagon Papers
-Robert F. Kennedy
-Robert S. McNamara
-Johnson attendance at Democratic Convention
-Convention procedures
-George S. McGovern
-Johnson efforts in 1972
-Vietnam
-President's peace program
-President and Johnson cooperation
-Clifford
-Attendance at Lyndon B. Johnson Library
-Democratic convention
-Administration tactics
-State of public morality
-Last meeting with North Vietnamese
-Kissinger’s Stance
-Rationale
Ehrlichman entered at 9:31 am.
-US presence in Vietnam
-Johnson
-Revelation to Nguyen Van Thieu
President’s conversation with Mansfield
-Tone
-Ehrlichman
-Declassification procedures
-World War II
-Korean War
-Bay of Pigs
-Cuban missile confrontation
-Political protections
51
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Reflection on previous administrations
-Need for continued classification
-Relations with foreign governments
-Romania
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Ehrlichman's role
-Joint statement
-Senate action Conv. No. 527-16 (cont.)
-Timing
-Tone of President's delivery
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Senate actions
-Previous administrations’ behavior
-Anti-ballistic missile [ABM] treaty
-Vietnam negotiations
-President's discussions with North Vietnam
-Effect of senate action
-Phased withdrawal
-Drawbacks of declaring a date
-Publication of sequence of events
-Consulation with Mansfield
-Ceasefire objective
-Date of ceasefire
-Thieu
-Imposition of communist government
-Breakdown of negotiations
-Administration response
-North Vietnamese perception
-Impact on US policy
-Johnson
-Options if talks break down
-Bombing
-Dikes
-Haiphong
-Rationale
-Counter to Senate action
-William P. Rogers
-Other policy "cards"
-Clifford
-NFL comments
-David K.E. Bruce's demeanor in Paris
-Reaction to North Vietnamese
52
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Ronald L. Ziegler's briefing
-Other policy cards
-Soviet Union reaction
-PRC
-Chou En-lai interview with Seymour Topping of New York Times
-Soviet Union compared with PRC style
-PRC remarks concerning President
-State Department Formosa statement Conv. No. 527-16 (cont.)
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew's trip to Southeast Asia
-Stop in Vietnam
-Focus of Agnew's remarks
-Pentagon Papers
-Senate action
-Administration response
-Attack
-Rationale
-Mansfield's problems
-Release of documents
-Injunction
-Nature of revelations
-Jacob K. Javits’ attack on John F. Kennedy
-Ngo Dinh Diem's assassination
-President's comments to Mansfield
-Diem's assassination
-Henry Cabot Lodge
-Kennedy
-Johnson's reaction
-Attacks on Johnson
-Testimony by Johnson administration personnel
-Johnson's files
-Chicago Sun Times story
-Source
-Diem's murder
-Marguerite Higgins’ book
-President's classified information
-Laos involvement
-Cambodia involvement
-Peace negotiations
-Reason for classification
-Extent of Cambodia bombing
-Sun Times
-Emergence of other documents
53
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Sensitive periods
-World War II
-Franklin D. Roosevelt letters
-Korean War
-Bay of Pigs
-Cuban missile confrontation
-Fidel Castro
-Terms of missile withdrawal Conv. No. 527-16 (cont.)
-Adlai E. Stevenson, II
-Robert F. Kennedy
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Roosevelt
-Johnson
-President's bureaucratic procedures
-Option writing
-World War II
-Willard Edwards
-Walter Trohan
-Emergence of stories
-Compromise of sensitive areas
-Response in kind
-Concern for national security
Vietnam Peace negotiations
-Kissinger’s demeanor
-Kissinger’s contact with other parties
-Use of bombing
-Use of historical record
-Protection of Americans
-POWs
-President’s policy
-Use of International Red Cross
Mansfield amendment
-Ehrlichman
-Call to Gerald R. Ford
-Ziegler
-Informing Mansfield
-Hugh Scott
-Administration response
-Statement by executive
-Effect on Times response
54
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Pentagon Papers
-Declassification action by President
-Priority of Pentagon Papers
-Date of orders
-Crawford report
-Dignity of executive
-Opponents' strength
Conv. No. 527-16 (cont.)
Mansfield amendment
-Reaction of other Democrats
-F. Edward Hébert
-Stennis
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Hébert
-Deadline rejection
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Effect on Presidential aspirations
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Chappaquidick
-Edmund S. Muskie proposal
-Use of former Presidents' testimony
-McNamara's testimony
-McGeorge Bundy's testimony
-Walt W. Rostow
-Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor's article
-Justice of war
-Defense of administration
-Need for response
-President's American Medical Association [AMA] comments
Drug policy
-Reaction by AMA members
-Ehrlichman
-Drug program
-Harold E. Hughes’ request
-Dr. Jerome H. Jaffe's testimony
-Drawbacks
-Play on drug theme
-President’s speech to the American Association of Retired Persons
[AARP]
-Calls for support from President
55
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Pentagon Papers
-Profile of President's enemies
-Strength
-Use of slogans
-Relation to Johnson’s policies
-Clifford's comments
-Previous evening's dinner
-William E. Timmons’ poll Conv. No. 527-16 (cont.)
-Significance
-Changes
-View of President's competence
-Changes
-Public's view of Times
Ehrlichman talked with Carl B. Albert at an unknown time between 9:31 am and 11:03 am.
[Conversation No. 527-16E]
[See Conversation No. 5-134]
-"Right to know" focus
-Wrong-doing view
-Role of former Presidents
-Scott
-Kissinger visit to Johnson City
-Punishment for release of classified material
-Preventative measures
[End of telephone conversation]
[Ehrlichman talked with the White House operator, an unknown woman and Clark MacGregor at
an unknown time between 9:31 am and 11:03 am]
[Conversation No. 527-16D]
[See Conversation No. 5-135]
-Timmons’ poll
-Overall involvement of President
-Credibility of government
-Candor of administrations
-Solution for Nixon administration
56
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Need to focus on theft of documents
-Release of information
-President's position
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-John A. Scali
-Congressional role
-Ziegler
-Kissinger Conv. No. 527-16 (cont.)
-Administration response to attacks
-Critics
-Respect
-Congress
[End of telephone conversation]
-Intellectuals
-Morality
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:31 am.
Schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 10:00 am
Support for the President
-Administrations response to attacks
-Mansfield
-Respect for critics
-Bureaucrats
-Intellectuals
-Dr. Edward C. Banfield's breakfast
-Dean of Harvard Medical School
-James R. Killian, Jr.
-Depth of conversation
-1956 election
-W. Averell Harriman's television appearance
-William E. Jenner's view of Harriman appearance
Kissinger left at 10:00 am.
-Transmission of documents
-MacGregor
57
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Vice President
-Kissinger's view of attack on President
-Release of more secret materials
-Kissinger
-Encouragement from the President
Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:00 am.
Conv. No. 527-16 (cont.)
Schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 10:12 am.
Administration response to attacks
Haldeman and Ehrlichman left at 10:12 am.