Conversation No. 642-15

Date: January 3, 1972
Time: 9:25 am - 10:04 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
                                        16

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)




The President's interview with Dan Rather, January 2, 1972
     -News coverage
          -The President's responses regarding troop withdrawals and residual force
          -Reporting by Marvin L. and Bernard Kalb

William P. Rogers
     -Economic meeting

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
      -The President’s forthcoming meeting with Gerard C. Smith
      -Rogers
           -Photograph
           -Credit
      -Antiballistic missiles [ABM]
           -Smith
                  -The President's views on ABM
                  -Rogers
                  -Negotiating position
                       -Possible leak
                       -Defense Department
                              -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
      -Sub-launched Ballistic Missiles [SLBM]
           -Executive agreement
           -Tubes
           -Smith
                  -Negotiating position
      -Rogers
      -Smith
      -Rogers
           -Attendance at meeting
      -Smith
           -Possible action
      -Melvin R. Laird
           -Memorandum
                  -ABM
                       -Number of sites
                       -Location
                              -National Command Authority [NCA]
                                   -Washington, DC
      -Soviets
                                        17

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                   Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


          -Tests
                -Smith
                -State Department
                -Congress
                -Number
                      -Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
                -The President’s concern about Soviet intentions
          -Recess from talks
                -Smith’s view
                      -Soviet summit
                           -Edward M. Kennedy
                -Kissinger’s instructions to Smith
     -Soviet summit
          -Kennedy
                -Bureaucracy
          -Smith
                -Credit
                -1972 election
     -US position
     -Congress
          -Possible problem

Vietnam
     -Peace plan
          -Cable from Ellsworth F. Bunker to Kissinger
                -Nguyen Van Thieu
          -The President's possible speech
                -Backgrounder by Kissinger
                -Television
                -Effect
                -Timing
                     -Possible date
                           -Paris
                     -Dealings with press
                           -Coverage
                                 -State of the Union speech
                                       -Possible delay
                -Possible content
                     -History of negotiations
                -Timing
                     -State of the Union speech
                                           18

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


                       -Possible response
           -Possible response from Administration critics
                -Administration negotiations
                       -Seven Points
                       -Deadline
                -Thieu
                       -Possible resignation
           -Possible rejection by North Vietnam
                -Effect
           -The President's possible speech
                -Timing
                       -State of the Union message
           -Possible response from Administration critics
           -Forthcoming Peking and Moscow summits
           -Soviet Union
                -Possible strategy
                       -People’s Republic of China [PRC]

The President's forthcoming meeting with Smith and Rogers
     -Photographs
          -Gerald L. Warren
          -Desirability

The President's interview with Rather
     -Question regarding the President's possible delay tactics regarding Vietnam
          -Summits
          -Congress

The President's forthcoming meeting with Smith and Rogers
     -Photographs
          -Effect
                 -Soviet Union

Thelma C. (“Pat’) Nixon's trip to Africa
     -Photographs
     -News coverage
          -Press and television
          -Toast
          -Mrs. Nixon’s demeanor

SALT
                                            19

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 10/06)
                                                                   Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


        -Meeting with Smith
            -Duration
            -Points to be made
                  -ABM treaty
                  -Executive agreement
                  -SLBM
                        -Kissinger's view
                        -Number of tubes
                  -Political implications
                        -Popular opinion
            -Smith's role in negotiations
                  -Deadline

Smith
     -Administration handling

Kissinger's schedule
     -Plane

Vietnam
     -Forthcoming troop withdrawal announcement, January 13, 1972
          -Format
                -Press conference
                -Oval Office
                -Press room
                     -TV coverage
                -Ronald L. Ziegler
     -Peace plan

India
        -Indira Gandhi
              -Possible normalization of relations with US
        -Relations with Pakistan
              -The President's interview with Rather
                   -Question

The President's interview with Rather
     -Rather's performance and tone
          -Manolo Sanchez's view
          -The President’s view
     -Question on the President's possible delay tactics regarding reelection
                                        20

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


          -Vietnam, Moscow and Peking summits and economic program
          -The President's response
     -Compared with previous performance by Lyndon B. Johnson
     -Handling critics
          -The President's response
                -Public opinion
     -Question on use of "Ms."
          -Gloria Steinem
     -Question on the President's charisma
          -The President's response
                -Performance
     -Question on race relations
          -Differences
          -Quakers and Catholics
     -The President's performance
          -Radio
                -Kissinger’s hearing
                -Television
                -The President's voice
                      -Effectiveness
     -Camera shots
          -Oval Office window

Vietnam peace plan
     -The President's forthcoming speech
          -Timing
          -North Vietnamese response
                -Negotiations
                      -Possible public statement
          -Congress
          -Announcement
                -Desirability
                      -PRC
                      -Negotiations
                      -Networks
          -Troop withdrawal announcement
                -Lead stories
                -The President's response during Rather interview
                      -Troop levels
          -Edward R.G. Heath
          -Possible build-up
                                                21

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


                -Announcement
                     -Phrasing
                -Background
                     -1971 negotiations

[The President talked with Rose Mary Woods at an unknown time between 9:25 am and 10:04
am.]

[Conversation No. 642-15A]

     Instructions

[End of telephone conversation]

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:25 am.

     The President's schedule
          -Woods
          -Smith
               -Rogers
          -Woods
          -Smith
               -Scheduled meeting

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:04 am.

     Kissinger
          -Dealings with Smith
          -Dealings with Rogers

     The President's dealings with Melvin R. Laird and Rogers
          -SALT

     SALT
         -Public relations
         -Negotiations
              -Election year
              -Right wing
              -Liberals’ views

     India-Pakistan relations
                                        22

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


     -US aid
           -Military
           -Refugees
     -Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
           -Military to civilian government
           -Mutual military pullback
     -Gandhi
     -United Nations [UN]
           -Cease-fire resolution
                 -Veto in Security Council
                 -Vote in General Assembly
     -US use of influence with Soviet Union and India
     -India’s possible action
           -Effect on world
     -US efforts
           -Effectiveness
     -Soviet aid
           -US aid
     -US relations with PRC, India and Pakistan

Bangladesh
    -US recognition
          -US counsel in Dacca’s call to Bangladesh foreign minister
               -PRC
                     -UN
               -State Department
               -The President’s forthcoming trip to PRC
               -Possible memorandum
                     -Phrasing
                          -White House clearance of contact
                          -The President’s view
                                -Interpretation
                                      -World and US press
                                -Soviet recognition
                                -Rogers
                                -Counsel
                          -Rogers
                          -Presidential clearance of contact
                          -Interpretation
                          -Soviet Union
                                              23

                              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                   Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


     Kissinger's forthcoming meeting with the President

     Foreign policy
          -The President's guidance
          -Kissinger’s authority
          -The President's authority

Kissinger left at 10:04 am.