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Conversation: 608-001

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Start Date: 29-Oct-1971 5:20 PM

End Date: 29-Oct-1971 6:08 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Butterfield, Alexander P.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Colson, Charles W.Kissinger, Henry A.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:00:51

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 00:50:05

608a.mp3

NARA Description:

On October 29, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:20 pm to 6:08 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 608-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 608-1

Date: October 29, 1971
Time: 5:20 pm - 6:08 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     [Unintelligible]

     The President's schedule
          -Charles W. Colson

     George P. Shultz's forthcoming memorandum
         -Forthcoming Quadriad meeting

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered and Butterfield left at 5:21 pm.

     US aid to Greece
          -Congressional action
          -Henry A. Kissinger
                -William P. Rogers

     The President's schedule
          -Shultz
          -John D. Ehrlichman
          -The President’s view

Colson entered at 5:25 pm.

     Grain sale to Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
          -Thomas W. (“Teddy”) Gleason
          -Maritime unions
                 -Colson's efforts

     US aid to Greece
          -Congressional action

     United Nations [UN]
          -Israel
                -Hugh Scott
          -George H.W. Bush
                                            2

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 608-1 (cont.)


               -Schedule
                    “Issues”
                    -William F. Buckley's show, "Firing Line"
                    -“Dick Cavett Show”
                           -Edmund S. Muskie
               -Public comments
         -Israel
               -The President’s view
               -Jews' fears
               -Louis P. Harris
               -Scott's comments
         -Press column
               -Harris poll
               -Washington Post coverage
               -Newsweek's forthcoming story

    1972 campaign
         -Muskie

    UN
         -Previous vote to expel Taiwan
              -Hubert H. Humphrey's reaction


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 4m 51s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


    National economy
         -Colson's possible meeting with Peter M. Flanigan
               -Arthur F. Burns
         -Interest rates
               -Burns
                                         3

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                            Conv. No. 608-1 (cont.)


           -Home mortgages
           -William L. Safire, Flanigan
           -Housing
                 -Effect
           -Colson's forthcoming communication with Burns
                 -The President’s view
           -Flanigan, Safire

The President's activities
     -Josip Broz Tito
     -Indira Gandhi
     -Supreme Court appointments
     -Muskie
     -Press coverage

UN vote to expel Taiwan
    -Reaction of the President's opponents
          -Democrats
    -New York Times
    -Bush
          -Comments to press delegates' reaction
          -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
          -Forthcoming appearance on “Dick Cavett Show”
                -Muskie
                -Tickets
                -“Firing Line”
                -Haldeman’s view
          -The President’s view

Media
    -Cavett
          -Television contract
    -Irving Kristol's article in Fortune magazine
          -Edith Efron's book
    -Liberal beliefs
          -Christianity
    -Kristol's article
          -Distribution
                -Colson
    -The President's reaction
    -Ronald L. Ziegler's comments
                                          4

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/06)
                                                            Conv. No. 608-1 (cont.)


         -Views
              -The President’s policies
              -Rowland Evans-Robert D. Novak newsletter
         -Evans-Novak book
              -Administration response
                   -Bryce N. Harlow
                   -Patrick J. Buchanan
              -“Today Show”
         -Evans-Novak newsletter
              -Drew Pearson
              -1972 election
                   -Democrats
                         -Muskie
         -Evans and Novak
         -Chet Huntley
              -Possible candidacy
                   -Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.
                   -Charles H. Percy
                   -Possible opponent


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 45s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


    Edmund G. (“Pat”) Brown
        -Message to Haldeman
             -White House tour
             -The President


**********************************************************************
                                                 5

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 608-1 (cont.)


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 58s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


     UN vote to expel Taiwan
         -Ronald W. Reagan
               -Reaction to the President’s statement
               -View of UN
         -UN
               -India-Pakistan
         -Reagan
               -Reaction
                     -Delegates’ reactions
         -Delegates’ reaction
               -Kissinger
               -Jay Lovestone
               -Colson’s view
               -“Today Show” coverage
               -Videotape
                     -Kissinger
                     -Length

Haldeman talked with Henry A. Kissinger at an unknown time between 5:25 pm and 6:03 pm.

[Conversation No. 608-1A]

     Kissinger's schedule

[End of telephone conversation]

     Haldeman's previous telephone conversation with Kissinger
          -Kissinger's schedule

Colson left at an unknown time before 6:03 pm.
                                               6

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 608-1 (cont.)


     UN
           -Videotape of delegates reaction to Taiwan vote

     The President's schedule
          -Police security
                -Effect

Colson entered at an unknown time after 5:25 pm.

     UN vote to expel Taiwan
         -Videotape
               -Butterfield's office
               -Haldeman's office
         -Television coverage of delegates' reaction
               -William P. Rogers
               -Flanigan
               -Reaction in New York City
               -Reagan
         -John Birch Society

     John Birch Society
          -Earl Warren
                -The President's 1962 campaign
          -Dwight D. Eisenhower
          -Council on Foreign Relations
                -Eisenhower
                -Douglas MacArthur
                -Herbert Hoover
          -W. Cleon Skousen
                -Book
                     -Reagan's conversation with Kissinger
          -Adm. Ellis M. Zacharias
          -Attacks on Kissinger
                -Henry C. Cashen, II’s attendance at Navy League dinner
          -Adm. Dick Bergen [?]
          -John H. Rousselot
          -John G. Schmitz
                -Congressional votes

Kissinger entered at 6:03 pm.
                                                7

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 608-1 (cont.)



     Kissinger's previous meeting with Taiwanese Foreign Minister and Ambassador
          -Previous UN vote to expel Taiwan
                -Kissinger’ view
                -John H. Holdridge
                -Kissinger's trips to Peking
                -US efforts
                -Botswana
                -Guyana
                -US efforts
                -Uganda
                      -Idi Amin
          -US defense commitments
                -Ziegler’s statements
                -Rogers’ press conference
          -The President's schedule
                -Taiwanese Ambassador
          -Previous UN vote to expel Taiwan
                -US efforts
                      -Rogers
                      -The President’s efforts
                      -King of Morocco
                      -President of Mexico
                      -Prime Minister of Italy
                      -Ireland, Netherlands, Iran
                      -Israel
                      -Great Britain

     Videotape of UN delegates reaction
          -Viewing in Haldeman’s office

The President, et al. left at 6:08 pm.