Conversation: 657-001
Prev: 656-030 Next: 657-002Start Date: 26-Jan-1972 5:05 PM
End Date: 26-Jan-1972 6:17 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Belcher, Page; White House photographer; White House operator; MacGregor, Clark; Bull, Stephen B.; Murray, Hyde H.; Butz, Earl L.; Butterfield, Alexander P.; Sanchez, Manolo;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:00:26
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:11:57
NARA Description:
On January 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Page Belcher, White House photographer, White House operator, Clark MacGregor, Stephen B. Bull, Hyde H. Murray, Earl L. Butz, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:05 pm to 6:17 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 657-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 657-1
Date: January 26, 1972
Time: 5:05 pm - 6:17 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
[Recording begins while the conversation is in progress]
Vietnam
-Press response to the President’s peace plan proposal speech, January 25, 1972
-Benjamin C. Bradlee
-Donald Oberdorfer, Jr.
-North Vietnam’s reaction to publication of terms
-US negotiating
-Strategy
-Seven points
-Liberals
-Kissinger’s press conference, January 26, 1972
-Public and private positions
-North Vietnam’s reaction to publication of terms
-William J. Porter
-Hardline
-Ceasefire
-1970
-North Vietnamese goals
-US surrender
-Communist government in South Vietnam
-Self-determination
-Public relations
-Kissinger’s forthcoming message to Porter
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Message
-Message from the President
-Support for the President’s Vietnam speech
-Media response to the President’s peace proposal speech
-North Vietnam’s reaction to publication of terms
-US public relations plans
-US surrender
-US negotiating strategy
-William Moyers
-Washington Post
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
-New York Times
-Editorial
-Tone
-Forthcoming briefing by Kissinger
-Timing
-Content
Page Belcher and the White House photographer entered and Kissinger left at 5:12 pm.
Photograph session
Visit from Dutch Prime Minister [Berand W. Biesheuvel]
[Photograph session]
The White House photographer left at 5:12 pm.
Tulsa Hospital
-Clark MacGregor
-Cost
-Meaning
[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:12 pm and
5:14 pm.]
[Conversation No. 657-1A]
[See Conversation No. 19-122]
[End of telephone conversation]
Tulsa Hospital
-Belcher’s talk with MacGregor
-Signing
-History
[The President talked with MacGregor between 5:14 pm and 5:15 pm.]
[Conversation No. 657-1B]
[See Conversation No. 19-123]
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
[End of telephone conversation]
Mary C. Higgins
-Call from the President
-Support for the President
-1962 California gubernatorial campaign
-The President’s comments to the press
-Belcher’s comment to Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Religion
-Beliefs regarding the President’s future in politics
-Death
-Cancer
-Call from the President
-Performance as Belcher’s assistant
-Rose Mary Woods’s view
-Marital status
Political friendship
-Belcher’s support for the President
Agriculture Department
-Earl L. Butz
-Clifford M. Hardin
-Butz
-Ezra Taft Benson
-Belcher’s support
-Butz
-Clarence D. Palmby
The President’s 1952 fund
-Belcher’s telegrams
-Dwight D. Eisenhower, Republican National Committee, Robert A. Taft, Sr.
-Belcher’s speech
-The President’s Checkers speech
-Congressional dealings
-Scandal
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
Agriculture
-Butz
-Farm spending
-Congressional relations
-George D. Aiken
-Jack R. Miller
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Reserve bill
-Defeat
-Vote
-Milton R. Young
-Carl T. Curtis
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-George S. McGovern
-Veto
-Costs
-Purchase, storage
-House of Representatives
-Committee
-Floor
-Republican votes
-Belcher’s schedule
-New York
-Butz
-Talk with Belcher, January 25, 1972
-Hyde H. Murray
-Hardin
-Butz
-Call to Belcher
-Farm bill
-Costs
-Belcher’s efforts
-Farm losses
-Welfare
-Agricultural support
-Congressional voting
-Miller
-Belcher’s voting record
-Miller
-Vietnam
-Belcher
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
-Congressional support for administration
-Senate
-Henry L. Bellmon
-House of Representatives
-House leadership
-Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends and Barber B. Conable, Jr.
-Support for Belcher
-Butz
-Leadership meetings
-The President’s Vietnam peace proposal speech
-Goldwater
-Belcher’s attendance
-Belcher’s past contacts with Presidents
-Present administration
-Compared to Eisenhower Administration
-Golf
Golf
Belcher’s health
-Blood pressure
-Doctors’ advice
-Golf
-Golf
-Partners
-Arends
-Ford
-Lobbyists
-Age
-Golf
-Doctor’s advice
-Courses
-Florida, Air Force Academy
Congressional relations
-Past contacts with White House
-Voting record
-Farm bills
-Political effect on Belcher
-Ford
-Miller
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
-Young
-Butz
-Criticism
-Hardin
-Benson
-William J. Scherle
-Request for resignation
-Orville L. Freeman
-Democrats
-Farmers
-Belcher’s career
-Belcher’s father
-Position
-Ross Rizley
-Farm bill
-Hardin
-Benson
-Joseph W. Martin, Jr.
-Hardin
-Support
-Democrats
-Carl B. Albert
-Republicans
-Belcher’s actions
-Effect on the President, Hardin
-Introduction
-Bipartisanship
-Amendments
-White House desires
-Sugar bill
-Pesticide bill
-Committee vote
-Floor vote
-Hardin
-Reason for leaving
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Privacy]
[Duration: 3s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
******************************************************************************
-Replacement
-Ralston-Purina job
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Privacy]
[Duration: 4s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
**************************************************************************
-Age
-Contact with Belcher
-Corn prices
-Butz
-Ralston-Purina
-Confirmation
-Relations with Belcher
-Meetings
-Frequency
-William R. Poage
-Poage
-Relations with Belcher
-House agriculture committee
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
-House agriculture committee
-Scherle
-Wiley Mayne
-H[arold] R. Gross
-Miller
-John H. Kyl
-Scherle
-Mayne
-Harold E. Hughes
-Miller
-John Sherman Cooper
-Miller
-Belcher’s role
-John C. Whitaker
Stephen B. Bull [?]entered at an unknown time after 5:15 pm.
The President’s schedule
Bull [?] left at an unknown time before 5:48 pm.
Belcher’s support of administration
-Whitaker
-Opinion on politics
-Bryce N. Harlow
-Belcher’s wife and Harlow’s father
-Belcher’s efforts to contact the President
-The President’s word
-Whitaker
-Butz
-Farm bills
Football
-Belcher
Murray, Butz and MacGregor entered at 5:48 pm.
Whitaker’s schedule
The President’s relationship with Belcher
-Butz contact
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
-House agriculture committee
-Belcher’s support for the Administration
-Political effect
-Hardin
Farm Bill
-Belcher’s opinion
-Budget increase
-Future relationships
-Poage
-Miller
-Reelections
-Curtis
-Scherle
-Forthcoming breakfast meeting
-1972
-Miller
-Announcement
Tulsa Hospital
-Governor [David Hall]
-Signing
-Public relations
-The President’s meeting with Belcher
-Signing of mortgage guarantee
-St. John’s Hospital
-Catholics
Whitaker entered at 5:55 pm.
Agriculture
-Whitaker
-Belcher
-Contact with the President
-1972
-Congressional leadership meeting
-Belcher’s attendance
-Political cheerleading
-Benefits
-Goldwater
-Football metaphor
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
-Cattle import from Italy
-Quarantine
-Duration
-Location
-New Jersey
-Belcher’s outlook
-Politics
-Corn prices
-National Wheat Growers Association
-Denver
-American Farm Bureau Federation [AFBF]
-Butz’s talk with unknown person
-Administration program
-Popularity
-Oklahoma
-Bellmon
-Belcher’s talk with AFBF
-Milk producers
-Cattlemen
-Corn prices
-Prospects
-Acre reduction in feed grains
-Forthcoming farmers’ intentions report
-Timing
-Changes
-Spending
-Butz’s talk with the President, November 1971
-Bill
-Political effect in Senate
-Long range plans
-Need for secrecy
-Soviet package
-Foreign policy
-Farm vote
-Maurice H. Stans
-Farmers’ vote
-Albert H. Quie
-John Zwach
-Quie
-Meetings
-Dairy farmers
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
-National Farmers Organization [NFO]
-National Farmers Union [NFU]
Congressional relations
-Belcher
-Harlow
-The President’s contacts with Congressmen
-The President’s morale
-Votes
-Belcher
-Clement F. Haynsworth
-G. Harrold Carswell
-[Unknown person]
-Belcher
-Power behind the scenes
-The President’s contact with Congressmen
-Belcher
-Prior support
-Contacts in Congress
-Belcher’s philosophy
-Rural development legislation
-Forthcoming message
-Humphrey
-White House strategy
-Belcher’s support for administration
-Contact with the Administration
-Administration’s requests
-Gratitude
-Benson
-Belcher
-H. Carl Andersen of Minnesota
Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:55 pm.
Belcher’s staff
-Gifts
-Money clip
-Presidential seal
-Previous visit from Biesheuvel
Bull left at an unknown time before 6:16 pm.
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
Vietnam negotiations
-Hanoi’s reaction to US proposal
Letters to Democrat presidential candidates
-Ford
-Albert
-Budget plan
-F. Edward Hebert
-George H. Mahon
-Gillespie V. Montgomery
-Albert
-John W. McCormack
-Congressional majority
-Hugh Scott and Ford
Belcher, et al. left and Alexander P. Butterfield and Stephen B. Bull entered at 6:16 pm.
Nomination for the President’s signature
The President’s schedule
-Forthcoming telephone call
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 6:16 pm.
Delivery of item
Coat
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 6:17 pm.
Item for the President’s signature
Dr. W. Kenneth Riland
Belcher
-Air Force One
-Relationship with the President
Telephone call
-Kissinger
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)
The President, et al. left at 6:17 pm.