Conversation: 579-015
Prev: 579-014 Next: 579-016Start Date: 28-Sep-1971 5:51 PM
End Date: 28-Sep-1971 6:42 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan); Kissinger, Henry A.; White House operator; Colson, Charles W.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 04:13:20
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 04:59:55
NARA Description:
On September 28, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:51 pm and 6:42 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 579-015 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 579-15
49
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Date: September 28, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:51 pm and 6:42 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Vietnam
-National League of Families
-Henry A. Kissinger's statement for the President
-The President's position
-Prisoners of war [POWs] families
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Summary
The President talked with Mrs. Nixon between 5:53 pm and 5:54 pm.
[Conversation No. 579-15A]
[See Conversation No. 10-18; one item has been withdrawn from the conversation]
[End of telephone conversation]
Kissinger entered at 5:55 pm.
Mansfield amendment
-F. Edward Hebert
-Vote in House of Representatives
-Gerald R. Ford
-Leslie C. Arends
-Hebert
-Carl D. Albert
-Conversation with the President
-Hebert
-Ford
-Arends
-Ford's views
-Draft
-The President's administration
-Effort towards passing legislation
-Ford
-Individuals voting for Mansfield amendment
50
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 579-15 (cont.)
-Election
-Possible outcome in respect to voting for amendment
-End of war
-Time length
-POWs
-Effect on negotiations
-Republicans and Democrats
-Hebert
-Support
People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Kissinger's conversation with William P. Rogers
-Announcement of Kissinger's trip
-Rogers's analysis
-Kissinger's trip
-United Nations [UN] vote
-Comparison to India trip
-UN vote
-Timing
-Gorge H.W. Bush's views
-General debate
-Soviet Union trip announcement
-Effect from announcement
-Date of announcement of trip
-Kissinger's conversation with Rogers
-Kissinger's interim visit
-PRC's responsibility
-Replacement of Kissinger by another
-Trip by the president
-Rogers's knowledge
-Results
-Contacts with US
-Rogers's reaction to Kissinger's trip
-Kissinger's conversation with Rogers
-Press attendance
-Publicity for Kissinger
-State Department personnel
-U. Alexis Johnson
-Rank
-David K.E. Bruce
-Strategy of Kissinger and Haldeman
51
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 579-15 (cont.)
-Comparison to India trip
-The President's PRC trip
-Advance team
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Secretary of State
-Johnson
-Effect
-Kissinger's trip to PRC
-Effect on UN vote
-Bush
-Length of debate
-Kissinger's presence in PRC
-Date of debate
-Bush
-Length of debate
-Possible request of Bush
Mansfield Amendment
-Capitol Hill actions
-Arends, Ford
Announcement by PRC
-Parade cancellation
-Timing
PRC
-Politics
-Chou En-lai
-Briefing in Hong Kong
-Mao Tse-tung's health
-The President's visit to PRC
-Madam Mao [Chiang Ching]
-May 16 Group
The President’s PRC policy
-Holmes P. Tuttle
-Telephone call to Kissinger
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Effect on conservatives
-Support for the President
-Support for the President
52
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 579-15 (cont.)
-Ronald W. Reagan
Kissinger's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Rogers
-Concern about press accompaniment
-Comparison to India trip
-Kissinger's previous visit to PRC
-Johnson
-State Department accompaniment
-Johnson
-Marshall Green
-Control by Kissinger
-Alfred Les Jenkins
-Advice to Kissinger
-Kissinger's conversations with PRC officials
-Negotiation tiers
-Technicians
-Chou En-lai
-Timing of announcement
-Domestic impact
-UN vote on Taiwan
-Situation
-Debate
-State Department
-Bush
-Debate at UN
-Timing
-Kissinger's visit to PRC
-African issues
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 52s ]
AFRICA
53
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 579-15 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**************************************************************************
Kissinger's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Rogers
-Planning dates
-Negotiations between US and PRC
-UN vote on Taiwan
-Reasons for Kissinger's presence in PRC
-Chou En-lai
-Effect on UN vote
Mansfield amendment
-Deadline in House of Representatives
Edward M. Kennedy's statement to POW wives
-Ford
-POW issue
-Remark
-Ngo Dinh Diem assassination
-John F. Kennedy's administration responsibility
-Charles W. Colson's possible actions
Joseph McCarthy
Vietnam
-End of war
-Credit
-Mansfield amendment
-Press coverage
-Possible effect on negotiations
-Ceasefire
-Effect on deadline issue
-Nguyen Van Thieu issue
-Thieu's election
-Hugh Scott's question
-Possible impact
-Kissinger's PRC trip announcement
-Effect on US position in relation to North Vietnam
54
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 579-15 (cont.)
PRC
-Question of cancellation of trip
-Relationship with us
Soviet Union
Vietnam
-Negotiations
-Pace
-Type of results
-Mansfield Amendment
-Capitol Hill reaction
-Congress
-Senate
-Effect on negotiations
-Negotiating strategy by US
-Security leaks
-Melvin R. Laird
-Trips
-End of war
-Negotiations
-Credit for ending the war
-Record
-Public opinion
-The President's actions
-Mansfield Amendment's effect on negotiations
-Thieu
-North Vietnamese reaction to US offers
Kissinger's forthcoming visit to PRC
-Reasons
-Question about US recognition problem
-Discussion in the President’s presence
-Rogers's concerns
-US relations with Taiwan
-Effects of Kissinger's trip on Taiwan relations with US
-Timing of debate in UN
-Bush
-Kissinger's relationship with Rogers
-Paris meetings
55
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 579-15 (cont.)
-Publicity for Kissinger
-UN vote
-Bush
-Delay
-Timing of Kissinger's trip to PRC
The President talked with the white house operator at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and
6:26 pm.
[Conversation No. 579-15B]
[See Conversation No. 10-19]
[End of telephone conversation]
UN debate on Taiwan
-Timing
-Length
Kissinger's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Speculation by US
-Dates
-Soviet Union announcement compared to PRC announcement
-Rogers
-Andrei A. Gromyko
Soviet Union trip
-Rogers's role
-Kissinger's upcoming meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Memorandum
The President talked with Colson between 6:26 pm and 6:30 pm.
[Conversation No. 579-15C]
[See Conversation No. 10-20]
[End of telephone conversation]
The President's schedule
-The President's attendance at the National League of Families Convention
56
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 579-15 (cont.)
-Robert J. Dole’s appearance
-Response
-Kissinger's comments in past
-US strategy
-Vietcong
-Envoys
-Laird's comments
-The President's possible comments
-POWs and Missing in action [MIAs]
-Edward Kennedy
-Propriety
POW families
-Relationship with Laird
-Achievement of prisoner exchange
National League of Families convention
-Laird's statement
-News coverage
-The President's statement
-News coverage
-Press coverage
-Movement and location within room
-Knowledge of the President's appearance
-White House press
-Statler Hilton Hotel
-The President's schedule
-Time
Mansfield amendment
-Hebert, Arends
-Instructing conferees
-Committee
North Vietnam
-As issue
-Bombing
-Mansfield's comments
John Sherman Cooper
57
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 579-15 (cont.)
Marlow W. Cook
-Retirement
-Time duration
Kissinger left at 6:37 pm.
Funeral for Justice Hugo L. Black
-The President's attendance
-Effect
-Exploitation
National League of Families Convention
-Timing
-Number of people
-Location
-Head table
-The President's schedule
-Arrival time
Mansfield amendment
-Clark MacGregor
-Ford
-Support for the President on Capitol Hill
-Hebert
-Vote
-Strength
-Success on issues
-Clement F. Haynsworth, Jr.
-Supersonic Transport [SST]
-Capitol Hill
-House
-Conference
-Politics
Kissinger and Rogers
-Relationship
-Trip to PRC
-Green
The President's schedule
-Wire service coverage
58
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 579-15 (cont.)
-Drop-by
-Justice Black's funeral
The President and Haldeman left at 6:42 pm.