Conversation: 559-003
Prev: 559-002 Next: 559-004Start Date: 10-Aug-1971 9:11 AM
End Date: 10-Aug-1971 10:05 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]; White House operator; Colson, Charles W.; Bull, Stephen B.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:07:55
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:02:30
NARA Description:
On August 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), White House operator, Charles W. Colson, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:11 am to 10:05 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 559-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 559-3
Date: August 10, 1971
Time: 9:11 am - 10:05 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
President's schedule
-Bill veto
-George P. Shultz
-Harry Bridges meeting
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
-Council on International Economic Policy [CIEP] meeting
-Peter G. Peterson
-Monetary situation
-Source of leak
Henry A. Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 9:11 am.
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS] meeting
-Melvin R. Laird
-Japan
-Possible force reduction
-Domestic considerations
-Armed services
-Reorganization
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time after 9:11 am.
-Budget
-Air Force
-Fighter wings
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-North Pole
-Army
-Condition
-Strategic concept
Democrats
-W. Averell Harriman
-Previous administration
Kissinger left at 9:14 am.
Press
-Washington Post story
-Edward B. Fiske
-White House church services
-Unknown reporter
White House personnel
-Constance M. Stuart
-Rose Mary Woods
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-US Information Agency [USIA]
-Duties
-Forthcoming presidential campaign
-Mrs. Nixon’s schedules
-Mrs. Nixon
-Barbara H. Franklin
-Frederic V. Malek's office
-Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
-Duties
-Scheduling
-Press
-Lucy A. Winchester
-Social affairs
-President’s campaign strategy
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Comparison to Herbert G. Klein
-Comparison to Stuart
-Klein
-Relations with press
Public relations
-News summary
-President's public appearances
-[New Hampshire] crowds
-Importance
-Press coverage
-George S. McGovern and Birch E. Bayh, Jr.
-Description
-Crowds
-Importance
-Compared to press coverage
-Press
-Use of adjectives
-Edith Efron's media study
-Press
-New England trip coverage
-New Hampshire
-Local press
-Boston Globe
-The President, Mrs. Nixon and family
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
-Crowd response
-Photographs
-Unknown girl
-Cynthia Frink
-Mrs. Nixon
-Portland, Maine
-Apollo moonshot
-Boston Globe
-Margaret Chase Smith
-National coverage
-Apollo spaceshot
-Photo coverage
-Jacksonville Journal
-[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II and Julie Nixon
Eisenhower
-Youngstown Vindicator
-New York Post
-Washington Star
-Baltimore Sun
-Charles W. Colson
-Unknown man
-Efron
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Background
The President left the room at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:28 am.
[Pause]
The President entered the room at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:28 am.
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 9:14 am and
9:28 am.
[Conversation No. 559-3A]
[See Conversation No. 7-82]
[End of telephone conversation]
Efron
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
-Background
-Port-au-Prince, Dominican Republic
-Look magazine
The President talked with Colson between 9:28 am and 9:30 am.
[Conversation No. 559-3B]
[See Conversation No. 7-83]
[End of telephone conversation]
The press
-Efron
-Background
-Political background
-Media study
-Foundation
-William F. Buckley, Neal Freeman, Lawrence Purdy [?], Ruth
Matthews
-J. B. Matthews
-Freeman
-Buchanan
-Hearst Corporation
-King Features
-Publication
-Buchanan
-Endorsement
-Credibility
-Distribution
-Reaction
-White House strategy
-Buchanan
-John A. Scali
-Efron
-Updating
-Distribution of summary
-Kissinger
-Colson
-Public mind
-Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
-Financing and mailing
-Buchanan
-Media
-Accuracy of study
-Efron
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 58s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**********************************************************************
Public relations
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Foreign trip
-Agnew’s reaction
-News summary
-Interview
-Godfrey Sperling, Jr.
-Christian Science Monitor
-Agnew’s reasoning
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 52s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
**********************************************************************
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
People's Republic of China [PRC] trip
-James B. Reston articles
-Democrats
-Chou En-lai
National economy
-Leak
-Paul Scott’s article
-Department of the Treasury
-John B. Connally
-Eddie Bernstein
-Republican leadership meeting
-Shultz
-Hugh Scott
-Foreign policy
-Robert P. Griffin
-Automobile industry
-Automobiles
-Possible economic action
-Griffin
-Charles E. Chamberlain
-Connally
-1973
-Wage and price action
-Probability of success
-Consumer confidence
-Leak
-Shultz
-Paul Scott
-Kissinger
-Alexander M. Haig
-Peterson
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Proposed meeting
-Connally
-Connally
-Shultz
-Kissinger
-Public relations
- Road show
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
-Connally, Peter M. Flanigan, Shultz, Paul W. McCracken, and Colson
-Connally
-International Monetary Fund [IMF]
-Colson’s strategy
-Economy as issue
-Democrats
-Media
-Public perceptions
-Bankers
-Trade deficits
-Administration posture
-Standing pot
-Businessmen
-Haldeman's talk with Julie and David Eisenhower
-Individual compared to national conditions
-Wage and price increases
-Mass hysteria
-Caution
-Comparison to President's foreign policy
-Reaction to critics
-Possible economic action
-Staff briefings
-Colson, Ehrlichman, Peterson
-Ehrlichman
-Shultz
-President's meeting with Connally
-Peterson
-Arthur F. Burns
-Ehrlichman
-Shultz
-Possible leak
Kissinger entered at 9:52 am.
PRC trip
-Reston interview with Chou En-lai
-Post-announcement actions by Chinese
-Reassuring allies
-Sign removal
-Chou En-lai comments
-Deals
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
-Compared to Soviets
-Harriman
-Arms control
-Comments
-Press coverage
-1969
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
Arms control
-Antiballistic Missiles [ABMs]
-Gerard C. Smith
-USSR
-Arms Control and Disarmament Agency [ACDA]
-May 20, 1971 agreement
-Congress
-President's Instructions
-Cable
-May 20 agreement
Berlin
-Possible settlement
-Four-Power negotiations
-Announcement
-President’s possible involvement
-West Germany
-Internal politics
Arms control
-Smith
-Proposals
-Effect on Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
-James S. Lay, Jr.
-ACDA
-State Department
PRC
-Chou En-lai
-Forthcoming talks with the President
-Reston Article
-Rowland Evans
-Rumania
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
-View of the President
-USSR
Press
-Evans
-Robert D. Novak
-Politics
President's schedule
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 51s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
**********************************************************************
PRC
-Reston article
-Chou En-lai
-Kissinger's talk with Chou En-lai
-Reston
-United Nation [UN]
-The President
Stephen B. Bull entered and left at an unknown time after 9:52 am.
Chou En-lai
-Comments about UN
Arms control
-Gerard Smith
Pakistan
-[Sheik Mujibur Rahman]
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
-Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
-Press coverage
-Possible action
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[National Security]
[Duration: 23s ]
PAKISTAN
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
**********************************************************************
PRC
-Conservatives
-Liberals
Arms control
-Liberals
-SALT
-Harriman
-John F. Kennedy
-Nonproliferation Treaty
-SALT
-Possible agreement
-Timing
President's schedule
-[JCS] meeting
-Location
-David Packard
-Agnew
-Chiefs
-Haig
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 559-3 (cont.)
-Melvin R. Laird
Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:52 am.
JCS meeting
-Cabinet Room
-Briefing books
-Number
-Agnew
-Seating
The President, Haldeman, Kissinger and Bull left at 10:05 am.