Conversation: 534-002
Prev:  534-001 Next: 534-003Start Date: 1-Jul-1971 8:45 AM
End Date: 1-Jul-1971 9:52 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Bull, Stephen B.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:04:58
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:10:44
NARA Description:
On July 1, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Henry A. Kissinger [?], and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:45 am to 9:52 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 534-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 534-2 Date: July 1, 1971 Time: 8:45 am - 9:52 am Location: Oval Office The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. 2 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/08) The Pentagon Papers case -Haldeman's conversation with Elliot L. Richardson -The Eastern “establishment” -The President's experiences with the Alger Hiss case -Contrast between Hiss' and Whitaker Chambers' background -Richardson conversation about Charles M. Cooke, Jr. (?) -Melvin R. Laird -Ellsworth F. Bunker cables shown to Daniel Ellsberg Conv. No. 534-2 (cont.) -Jimmy Doyle of the Washington Star -William P. Rogers -Investigation of cable leak -Cooke's admission of showing cable to Ellsberg -Ellsberg's departure from the Rand Corporation -Cooke -Access to cable from unnamed woman in the State Department -Richardson's June 30, 1971 conversation with Cooke -Perception of Cooke's role -Cooke's position with the federal government -Henry A. Kissinger -Frank [Surname unintelligible] -Conversation overheard at Los Angeles Rams football game in October 1970 -Plans to leak documents via unnamed persons from Kissinger's staff at the White House News story about the Turkish opium ban The President's appearance at the Federal Bureau of Investigation's [FBI] academy -Defense of J. Edgar Hoover Howard K. Smith -Commentary on "The Establishment" -New York Times -The President as anti-establishment figure Pentagon Papers case -Action against anti-administration conspiracy -John D. Ehrlichman -Charles W. Colson -The President's schedule -Leaking of stories about opponents -The New York Times -John F. Kennedy 3 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/08) -Feasibility and timing of statement by the President -President’s view -Suppression -Possible action -Ehrlichman's recommendation -Ellsberg's legal status -Ehrlichman’s forthcoming conversation with Colson -Kissinger Conv. No. 534-2 (cont.) -Ehrlichman’s views -Haldeman’s forthcoming meeting with Ehrlichman, Colson, Richard A. Moore, John A. Scali, Ronald L. Ziegler -Kissinger -Declassification of government documents -Kissinger -Ehrlichman -Laird -John N. Mitchell -Laird -FBI -Handling of case by someone for the White House -Tom C. Huston -Richard V. Allen -Henry E. Peterson -Comparison to the President's involvement in the Hiss case -Leaks -Hoover -Mitchell -Ehrlichman -Orchestration of effort to leak information -Purposes -Declassification -Political benefits -Vietnam -Distraction from current issues -Focus on previous administrations -Type of person needed to handle the case -John C. Whitaker -Qualities required -Huston -Presidential involvement -Cooke -Tran Ngoc Chau 4 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/08) -Future White House contact -Freeze against the Washington Post and the New York Times -Continuation -Backgrounders, off-the-record, personal -George P. Shultz -Access restriction to on-the-record appearances in presence of other reporters -Leonard Garment, William L. Safire, Raymond K. Price, Jr. Conv. No. 534-2 (cont.) Unemployment statistics -The President's conversation with Colson -Adjustments -Shultz -Seasonal adjustments -June statistics -Colson -The President's instructions on handling story -ABC news -Scali Opium agreement with Turkey, June 30, 1971 The FBI -The President's appearance at academy -Hoover -Repression issue -Mitchell's attitude -Passing nature of issue The Supreme Court -Justices -Need to change -Hugo L. Black, Thurgood Marshall, William J. Brennan, Byron R. White Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 8:45 am The President's schedule -Request -Kissinger Bull left at an unknown time before 9:18 am [The President talked with an unknown person (Kissinger?) at an unknown time between 8:45 5 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/08) am and 9:18 am] [Conversation No. 534-2A] Schedule [End of telephone conversation] The President's schedule Conv. No. 534-2 (cont.) -Meeting request by Ehrlichman Bicentennial speech -John K. Andrews, Jr. -Use of the President's previous statement -Speech language -Number of television networks scheduled to broadcast speech Kissinger entered at 9:18 am. The Vietnam war -Vietnamese -Negotiations -Press report -May 31, 1971 proposal The Pentagon Papers case -California -Incident at October 1970 Los Angeles Rams game -Member of Business Executives for Peace -Plans by unknown member of Kissinger's staff -Alleged plan to quit staff and leak information about the war Haldeman left at 9:18 am -Release of classified information -NSC control -Contingency plans -Laos-Cambodia contingency plans -Haiphong Harbor -Cooke -Richardson -Comparison to the Hiss case -Relations with Ellsberg 6 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/08) -Rand Corporation -Case of Chau in South Vietnam -Secret cables -Nguyen Van Thieu -Publication of cables by Doyle -Washington Star -Rogers -Concern Conv. No. 534-2 (cont.) -Investigation of Rand Corporation -Ellsberg -Richardson's defense of Cooke -Security-clearances -Need-to-know rule -Kissinger's staff -[First name not known] Davis -May 14, 1969 incident An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 8:45 am Accidental summons -Haldeman The unknown man left at an unknown time before 9:23 am The Pentagon Papers case -Davis -Alleged leak of embargoed speech to journalist -Ellsberg Haldeman entered at 9:23 am The Pentagon Papers case -Ellsberg -Distinction between holding security clearance and need-to-know principle -Chau case -Cooke, Ellsberg, Bunker -Handling of classified information -Richardson -Need for individual to be assigned to work with the President on the case -Ehrlichman -Ehrlichman, John W. Dean, III -Comparison to Hiss case 7 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/08) -Ethics and lawyers -The Manson case -Mitchell -New York Times -White House publications efforts -Brookings Institute safe -Break-in -Blame Conv. No. 534-2 (cont.) -Cooke -Alexander M. Haig, Jr. -Bunker -Chau case -Cables from Bunker -The President’s message to Ambassador Bunker -Washington Star story Brookings Institution -Break-in Vietnam war -Negotiations -Public reaction -Press -Conditions -Prisoners of War [POWs] -Ceasefire -Possible public statement -Bunker’s knowledge of negotiations -David K.E. Bruce -Timing -Kissinger’s schedule -Proposal -POWs -POW wives -Report from Bruce -Possible public release of proposal -Release of POWs -Ceasefire -Conditions The Pentagon papers case -Leaks 8 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/08) -National Security Council [NSC] staff -Investigation -Haig -Wiretapping -Issue of trust in the White House -Haldeman, Ehrlichman -Leaks -NSC staff Conv. No. 534-2 (cont.) -Liberals -Theft of classified documents -Mitchell -Reaction -Repression -The Hiss case comparison -Tom Clark -Justice Department -Nixon’s efforts -Use of leaks to get Hiss -Newspaper stories contrasted with legal action in court -Grand jury -[Forename unknown] Murphy -Hoover -Ellsberg case -Declassification -Ehrlichman -Opposition to Laird plan -President’s role -White House efforts -Cuban missile crisis -Conspiracy -Leaking of information -Cooke -Role -Rand Corporation -Ellsberg -Chau case -Bunker -Cables -Cooke -Ellsberg -Leak 9 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/08) -Leak by White House -Conspiracy -Other administration’s involvement -Cooke -Richardson’s handling of case -Status -Leaks to press about involvement The President talked to Haldeman at unknown time between 9:28 am andConv. 9:52 am. No. 534-2 (cont.) Cooke -Removal -Richardson -Leaks to the press -Colson [End of telephone conversation] Haig entered at 9:39 am. -NSC staff -Allegations about two unknown staff members -Leaking of documents against the Vietnam War -Security of materials -Kissinger and the NSC staff -Executive Office Building [EOB] -Intellectuals -Eastern schools -University of California, Berkeley Vietnam War -Negotiations -Ziegler -POWs -Haig's conversation with William C. Sullivan -North Vietnamese conditions -Thieu's Regime -Handling -Sullivan -Ziegler Haig left at 9:45 am. 10 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/08) Foreign relations -Briefing book -Public information -Changes in section about negotiations -The People's Republic of China [PRC] -The President's conversations with Nicolae Ceausescu and Andrei Gromyko -Tone and style Conv. No. 534-2 (cont.) -Stance -Philosophical angle -Chou En-lai's statements -Analysis -Kissinger’s future conversation with Chou En-lai -The President's perceptions of the world -The President's conversations with communist leaders -Unnamed Greek revolutionary -1947 Meeting -Nikita Khrushchev -Anastas Mikoyan -Frol Koslov -Fidel Castro -Nature of conversations -Opening Statement -Flexibility -Thought processes of foreign communists compared to current US revolutionaries Telephone Call from William P. Rogers to Kissinger Kissinger left at 9:52 am