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Conversation: 561-008

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Start Date: 11-Aug-1971 11:53 AM

End Date: 11-Aug-1971 12:51 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ehrlichman, John D.Ziegler, Ronald L.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:48:58

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:47:59

561a.mp3

561b.mp3

561c.mp3

NARA Description:

On August 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:53 am to 12:51 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 561-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 561-8

Date: August 11, 1971
Time: 11:53 am - 12:51 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

     Kent State University
          -Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, jr.
          -Meeting with Ehrlichman, August 11, 1971
          -Possible calls to William Saxbe and Robert Taft, Jr.
                -John N. Mitchell
                -Clark MacGregor

     Declassification order
          -Possible story
                -World War II
                -Korea
                -Lebanon
                      -Dwight D. Eisenhower
                -Cuba
                      -John F. Kennedy
                -Group recommendation
                -Exemptions
                      -Intelligence sources
                      -On-going negotiations
                                   26

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 10/06)
                                                             Conv. No. 561-7 (cont.)


           -Foreign relations
-Ehrlichman's possible backgrounder
      -Press
           -New classification system
           -Off-the-record sessions
                  -Classified material
      -Action of certain newspapers
      -Classification authority
           -Limitation
      -Classified material
           -Distribution
      -Public's right to know
           -National security
      -On-going negotiations
           -President's forthcoming trip to People's Republic of China [PRC]
                  -[New York Times] story
                        -Administration’s reaction
                  -Leaks
                        -Reaction of foreign government
      -Leaks
           -Pentagon Papers
                  -State Department story
                        -Unknown ambassador
                              -Henry A. Kissinger
                              -PRC concern
           -Administration's prosecution of New York Times
           -On-going negotiations
                  -Other governments' concerns
                        -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                        -PRC
           -Chou En-lai's interview with James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
                  -Chou En-lai's conversations with Kissinger
           -Effect on US foreign policy negotiations
                  -President's conversations with foreign leaders
                        -Josef Broz Tito
                        -Nicolae Ceausescu
                  -Secrecy
                        -Agreements compared to negotiations
                              -[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
                                   -Col. Edward M. House's comments
           -Attorney-client privilege
                                         27

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


                 -Labor negotiations
                       -Steel and rail strikes
                 -[New York Times case]
                       -President’s action
                             -Purpose
                                   -President’s negotiating position
                 -Pentagon Papers
                 -Historical information
                 -Limitation on classification authority
                 -Copying of classified documents
                       -Xerox machine
                 -Presidential initiatives
                       -Need to know
                 -Backgrounding with classified documents
                 -Leak
                       -Effect on Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
                             -New York Times
                             -Effect on negotiations
                             -Investigation
                                   -Reporters’ efforts
                                   -Polygraph
                                   -William Beecher's call to unknown man
                 -President's forthcoming trip to PRC
                 -Administration’s openness
                 -National security information
                       -Protection
                             -Press
                 -Pages declassified
            -Handling of President's papers
                 -Kissinger
                 -Distribution
                 -Need to know
                 -Debriefing
                 -Copying
                       -Xeroxing
            -Pentagon Papers

Leak
       -Unknown State Department official's conversation with Beecher
           -Possible administration reaction
                -Suspension
                                               28

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                           Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


                      -Transfer
                            -Aid to Liberia
                      -Ehrlichman's possible conversation with William P. Rogers
                            -SALT
                -Polygraph examination
                -Beecher’s story
           -Declassification
                -Cuba

     Busing
          -Edward L. Morgan's schedule
               -Mayor of Dallas, Texas
                     -Mitchell
               -Corpus Christi
               -Austin, Texas
          -Ronald L. Ziegler's press briefing
               -Federal law
                     -Compliance
          -South Carolina
               -Reaction to Elliot L. Richardson's letter to Carl B. Albert
                     -Requirement
                     -Citizens' Committee response
                           -George P. Shultz

Ziegler entered at 12:18 pm.

           -Ziegler's previous press briefing
                -President's position
                       -Consequences of failure to support
                             -Federal bureaucracy
                       -Local plans
                             -Dual school system
           -Morgan's schedule
           -Ziegler's previous press briefing
                -President's directive
                       -President's meeting with Mitchell and Richardson
           -Richardson's letter to Albert
                -Possible inquiries
                -Content
           -Ziegler's previous press briefing
                -President's position
                                              29

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


                       -Racial balance
                       -Dual school system
                       -Desegregation
                            -Moral aspect
                -George C. Wallace's statement
           -Ziegler's previous press briefing
                -John V. Lindsay
                -George Meany
                -Jim Naughton
                       -Republican Party
                            -Range of philosophies
                                  -John B. Connally

     Lindsay
          -Ziegler's conversation with Mitchell
               -Nelson A. Rockefeller
          -Location
               -Venezuela
                      -Ranch

Ziegler left at 12:23 pm.

     Pentagon Papers case
          -Krogh
               -Daniel Ellsberg
                     -Strange bias
                           -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
          -Locksmiths
               -Grand jury
          -Grand Jury
               -Timing
                     -Ellsberg arraignment
          -Federal investigators
               -Defense Department
               -FBI
                     -J. Edgar Hoover
                           -Press
                     -Ehrlichman's conversation with Mitchell, August 6, 1971
                           -Report by Krogh's man
                                        30

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                   Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


Hoover
    -Tenure in office
         -Mitchell's views
         -Possible conversation with President
               -[Thomas] Hale Boggs
         -Possible successor
               -L. Patrick Gray
    -Relationships
         -[First name unknown] Brennan, William C. Sullivan
         -Possible successor
               -Gray
         -Conversation with President after 1968 election
         -1972 campaign
         -Ellsberg investigation
         -The President’s forthcoming conversation with Mitchell

Public service jobs
     -President's instructions concerning discretionary money
           -Illinois
           -New Jersey
           -California
                 -Formula

Martin C. (“Marty”) Anderson
     -Possible role with administration
           -Haldeman's conversation with President
           -Special consultant
                 -Domestic Council
           -Size of staff
           -Budget
           -Congressional relations
     -Point of view

Administration's positions
    -Revenue-sharing
    -Welfare reform
          -House Resolution [H R] 1
    -Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
    -President's schedule

Unknown man's letter to President
                                          31

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


     -Availability of jobs in San Diego
     -Ehrlichman's response
           -Publicity
           -Effect

Hand guns
    -"Saturday night specials"
          -President's conversation with head of National Rifle Association [NRA]
          -Possible legislation
                -Krogh

Pentagon Papers

Kent State University
     -Support of unknown senators

Pentagon Papers
     -Possible administration action
          -Press coverage
                -Timing
          -Ehrlichman's possible conversation with Kissinger

President's schedule
     -Possible press conference
            -International monetary situation

National security
     -Intelligence
                                          32

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)
                                                                   Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 46s ]


    INTELLIGENCE


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


              -Rogers
                    -News leak
              -Possible National Security Council [NSC] procedures
                    -Congress
                    -Laird
                          -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
              -Beecher's Story
                    -Jackson
              -Jackson
                    -Ehrlichman's conversation with Laird
                          -SALT
                    -State and Defense Departments
              -Possible NSC procedures
                    -Ehrlichman's possible conversation with Kissinger
                          -National Security Study Memorandum [NSSM]
              -William H. Rehnquist's committee
                    -Classification guidelines
              -President's procedures
                    -Need to know
                          -Debriefing
                    -Copying

    Property Review Board
         -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
         -Arnold R. Weber
              -Possible successor
                                         33

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                          Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


                -Donald H. Rumsfeld

Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
     -President's possible veto
     -President’s view
     -Administration's policy
           -Legislation
                 -Albert H. Quie
                      -Views
                 -Samuel L. Devine
     -Mexican-American deputy director

Ehrlichman's visit to Denver, August 10, 1971
      -Schedule

Rogers C. B. Morton
    -Meeting with John A. Love
          -Colorado
    -Department of Interior
          -Location

Department of Agriculture
    -Location
         -Kansas, Nebraska
               -Clifford M. Hardin
         -Congress
         -Clarence D. Palmby
    -Possible new secretary

Interior Department
      -Morton
           -Walter J. Hickel
           -Activities
           -Television appearance

President's forthcoming meeting with Shultz
                                          34

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                         Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


Administration's programs
    -OEO
    -Revenue-sharing
    -Welfare reform
    -Pollution
    -Consumers
    -Education
    -President's schedule
    -National economy
          -President's forthcoming program
    -Cost
    -Political aspect
          -Revenue sharing
          -Welfare reform

Welfare reform
     -Question and answer session
           -Ehrlichman’s response
     -Possible Congressional action
           -Compromise
                 -House bill
                     -Experimentation

National economy
     -President's forthcoming program
           -Federal pay raise
                 -Shultz
                 -Federal employee concerns
           -Possible wage and price freeze
                 -Possible speech

Ehrlichman’s forthcoming press briefing

Pentagon Papers
     -Press coverage
           -Ellsberg
     -Ellsberg's schedule
           -National Students Conference
                 -Location
                      -Denver
                 -Attendees
                                               35

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


                           -George S. McGovern
                           -Birch E. Bayh, Jr.
                           -Edmund S. Muskie
                                -Earth Day

Ehrlichman left at 12:51 pm.